Secrets of the Sharingan
by Cinnamunk
Summary: Kidnapped from Konoha by Uchiha Itachi, Sakura finds herself learning more about her captor, his brother, her sensei, her village, and the demands of shinobi life than she ever expected. AU; splits off following the Tenchi Bridge Team 7 reunion arc. Multi-Saku [ItaSaku, KakaSaku, SasuSaku]. [M: mature content/violence.]
1. The Prisoner

_[AN: Hi there! Long AN to kick things off because I think some context is in order. After this, I'll be keeping the ANs brief._

 _I'm an editor/write by trade but a Naruto (and fanfic) newbie. I'm steadily making my way through the show, but have NOT read the Manga (one day...). I do know the general trajectory, and I'm going to try to keep things somewhat faithful (character wise, not when it comes to plot), but please remember that creative license is part of the beauty of fanfic. If you notice something unforgivable (butchered spelling, weirdly used Japanese, nonsensical geography, an explanation of a technical feature of "ninja-ness" that is plain crazy), do let me know!_

 _Chronologically, this story picks up soon after Team Kakashi's first encounter with Sasuke following Sakura's battle with Sasori, prior to all the craziness with the Twelve Guardian Ninja. The team has returned to the village, Kakashi is out of the hospital (at least for now :)), and Sasuke is still with Orochimaru. Since this is fanfic, the story is obviously going to diverge (wildly, at times) from canon here on out. One point where this is the case from the get go: Everyone is two years older than the appear on the show, so Naruto's generation is 18 years of age (my "simple" explanation: Naruto travelled with Jiraiya for four years as opposed to two, Orochimaru's host is actually good for four years as opposed to two, etc). No underage relationships, folks-that's important._

 _This is rated M for language, violence, and sex. As on the show, things may seem a bit dark at points. Please don't feel compelled to read anything that makes you uncomfortable; I write for pleasure, not to hurt. Finally, I do not own Naruto, and have absolutely no plan to profit from this story. Thanks for bearing with me, and happy reading!]_

 **Chapter 1. The Prisoner**

It was a dark, moonless night when they brought him into the village. Despite the late hour, a sizable crowd was gathered in the Hokage's office, awaiting the arrival of the prisoner. The room was silent, tension thick. Tsunade herself was seated behind the desk, jaw locked and amber eyes glittering dangerously. Behind her, stood the rest of her senior staff, backs to the window. Shizune, dark eyes set on the back of her mistress's head, hands locked together nervously. Iruka, his usually benevolent face stern with its infectious smile nowhere to be seen. And Ino, even paler than usual, light blue eyes focused intently on the door that would soon open.

In front of the desk stood a platoon of eight Anbu guards, the yellowy glow of the room glinting off of their porcelain-white masks. They were joined by several Jonin. Kakashi, Sharingan revealed; next to him, Shikamaru, face uncharacteristically tense; and Neji, dark hair tied back and hands ready to activate his Byakugan if the need arose. Another four Anbu stood by the door, and a cluster of at least four more waited on the other side. Tsunade had truly taken every precaution possible.

Sakura stood by the large, oval window, watching the glinting lanterns of the prisoner's escort approaching. From her perch, she could see Guy leading a group of ten other figures: eight more Anbu surrounding _him_. They were close now; squinting into the dark night, Sakura could now make out the final member of the group, the wild, white hair a dead giveaway… _Jiraiya!_ Sakura's heart dropped as she realized that there was no sign of Kurenai or Asuma. The advance reports must have been true, then.

The minutes crawled on. Sakura wet her lips; her mouth was dry with nerves, and her stomach flipped unpleasantly. The party had vanished from her view-they must now be inside the building. She turned away from the window and glanced worriedly down the line at her best friend and rival. After all, Asuma had been Ino's sensei. If the reports were true, she would be devastated.

Sakura could heard the sound of footsteps in the corridor. _They were here._ A voice spoke outside of the door, and Sakura tensed, eyes shooting to the source. She recognized Guy's tone, but couldn't catch what he was saying. No matter-she would know soon enough.

The door creaked open, and Sakura felt the cool air of the passageway seep into the warm, stuffy room. On any other occasion, it would have been a welcome relief, but not tonight. Tonight, the coolness felt dark, deathly, evil. Guy entered first, eyes downcast, followed by two pairs of Anbu and then… _him_. Someone ( _Ino?_ ) inhaled sharply, and Sakura saw Kakashi shift his weight slightly, his shoulders locking aggressively.

For a moment, Sakura felt her eyes drawn to the prisoner's gaze, but she managed to catch herself, suddenly remembering Kakashi's harsh warning when they had last confronted Itachi several months ago. _Beware the Sharingan! Whatever you do, do not make eye contact!_ She dropped her gaze downwards, noticing with revulsion that he was still wearing the black and red Akatsuki robes that haunted so many of her nightmares.

"It's all right everyone," Guy's voice cut into the silence, loud and booming in its intensity. "You can look. We have him blindfolded."

Sakura's eyes traveled up his robes, noticing the dark polish on his nails, the ruby Akatsuki ring glinting menacingly in the dark. He was taller and thinner than she remembered, perhaps due to whatever substitution jutsu he'd been using during their previous encounter. Broad shoulders; a defined yet delicate jawline; slender lips, set impassively; a fine, slender nose; and long, black hair, tied back. A fresh cut adorned his cheek, grazing his left cheekbone. His eyes were indeed covered by black fabric, torn off of one of the sleeves of his robes. Stomach flipping not quite unpleasantly, Sakura found her mind drifting back to Sasuke. With Itachi's eyes covered, the resemblance was uncanny.

"Uchiha Itachi. Long time no see." Her mistress stood up behind her desk, spitting the words out harshly. Resting her hands on the dark wood, she leaned forward slightly, as if trying to get a better look. "Guy, you are certain that this is him-?

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

The Uchiha nodded his head slightly in recognition. "Tsunade-sama." His voice was a touch deeper than Sasuke's, yet had that same cool, emotionless smoothness.

Tsunade's eyes moved from the prisoner to take in the rest of the group accompanying him. Sakura saw her shoulders drop sadly. "Kurenei...?"

"Taken to the hospital, mostly for observation," Guy said darkly, eyes hooded in a mixture of rage and sorrow. "Physically unharmed, but mentally..." He trailed off, giving Itachi a look of utter hatred.

One of the Anbu spoke, a medic-nin by the sound of it. "I did all I could, but I couldn't save Asuma. That damn sword of this bastard's partner sucked my chakra dry." Shikamaru's shoulders dropped, and Sakura heard a gasp to her left. _Ino._

"Shizune," Tsunade murmured fiercely, not taking her eyes off of the Uchiha. To her periphery, Sakura was aware that Shizune had silently crossed to Ino and was escorting the sobbing girl out the side door that led to Tsunade's private chambers, head bowed.

A deathly silence filled the room as the pair exited and the door clicked shut. Then, Tsunade spoke again, her voice barking out instructions in that way she had of masking her more tender emotions. "Take him to the prison. Make sure he is well guarded. I want two teams of Black Ops on him at all times. And by no means should anyone take off that blindfold. It might very well be the last thing you do."

With that, Guy's party exited the room, only Jiraiya staying behind. As the door shut behind the last Anbu, Tsunade collapsed into her chair, face bowed into her hands. "Damn, I can't believe that shark-faced bastard got Asuma," she hissed angrily, arms shaking with rage. Then, looking over to the cohort before her desk, her eyes settled on Shikamaru. "Nara, are you all right?" The command was thrown out in that same, militant way, yet there was a certain maternal softness behind it.

Shikamaru let out a deep sigh, face harder that Sakura had ever seen it and fists clenched by his side. "Asuma-sensei's death will be avenged."

Tsunade nodded, eyes lingering on him for longer than usual before directing her attention to the rest of the group. "It is late, and we could all use some sleep. We will meet tomorrow to discuss how to proceed with the Uchiha."

The remaining Black Ops began filtering out, along with Neji, left arm slung over Shikamaru's shoulder in a somewhat uncharacteristic show of support. Sakura glanced over at Tsunade to make sure she was no longer needed and then started to make her way over to the door as well; however, Jiraiya held out his hand to stop her. "Tsunade, Kakashi, Sakura, a word?"

"Make it quick." Tsunade's face was worn. While the interview with the Uchiha had been brief, it appeared that she had just about reached her limit.

"Of course. It's about Naruto." _It's always about Naruto._ "It would be wise for us not to mention the return of an Uchiha to the village."

Tsunade nodded her assent and looked down at her desk, rubbing her temples in exhaustion. "Fine. For as long as we can. Word will get out. Jiraiya, why don't you plan to take him off for additional training tomorrow. We can at least delay the inevitable."

Jiraiya nodded and headed for the door, with Kakashi and Sakura silently following. Sakura paused before exiting the room, wondering if she should go back to assist with Ino, but felt a gentle yet firm pressure on her upper back, directing her towards the door. _Kakashi-sensei._

Sakura allowed the cool darkness of the hallway to wash over her, her face hot and heart heavy from the events of the evening. They made their way out of the Hokage's tower, Jiraiya leading by a couple of paces and Kakashi behind Sakura. A vision of Sasuke swam before her as she remembered the night of his departure, Leaf headband affixed to his forehead and that familiar scowl set on his face. The headband fell off, and, slowly, he stretched, growing taller, his shoulders broadening, his face thinning slightly, and his cheekbones coming into focus as he transformed into Itachi, eyes flickering red with that mysterious, all-knowing Sharingan. Sakura shivered, not altogether unpleasantly, despite the warm evening. She jumped slightly in surprise as a warm hand come to rest on her shoulder.

* * *

"Are you all right, Sakura?" Kakashi had noticed the girl tremble.

"Hai, Sensei," came the timid reply through the darkness.

Kakashi resisted the temptation to use his Sharingan and examine her face for signs of tears. He could only imagine what she was going through. As a full-fledged Jonin who had encountered Uchiha Itachi numerous times over the years, he still found the resemblance between the two brothers jarring. How he wished that Tsunade had agreed to his request that the girl be left out of tonight's meeting. Talented healer and strong kunoichi though she may be, she was after all still just a child of barely eighteen."It will be good for her development," Tsunade had said shortly, dismissing Kakashi's concerns with a wave of her hand. Kakashi wasn't convinced then and he was even more uncertain now. After all, he remembered well Sakura's girlhood fascination with the younger Uchiha.

Sakura paused in her steps, and Kakashi stopped next to her. "Jiraiya-san, I will catch up with you later." Jiraiya gave them a wave and made his way towards the village gates. _Does that man ever sleep?_

Alone with his former student, Kakashi sighed deeply, allowing his right arm to rest paternally on her delicate shoulders, noting as he did so how much taller she'd grown since they'd first formed Squad 7. "They are so similar," she murmured softly to him.

 _Don't go down that road, Sakura-chan._ "Physically speaking, yes."

"You don't think..."

"That's where the similarities end, Sakura," He replied firmly, seeking to quell not only her doubts but his own. After what Kakashi had heard from Tenzo _(or was it Yamato now?)_ about the rest of his team's most recent encounter with Sasuke, he was no longer quite so certain.

Sakura let out another sigh, and Kakashi felt some of the tension drain from her shoulders. He was surprised at how deeply her pain affected him. Deep inside, he felt an urge to pull her in close for a hug, but he refrained from this un-sensei-like display of emotion. There were lines, after all, even if she was, _technically_ , now an adult. Letting go of her shoulders, Kakashi straightened up and cleared his voice. "Let's get you home; it's late, and tomorrow promises to be difficult." He started off down the road that led to her parents house.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei, I actually have my own apartment now. This way." Sakura took off down a side street to the left, and Kakashi followed. _Quite the adult._

Kakashi walked her silently to her door of the complex, noting how quiet and dark the streets were that night. Then again, it was likely after two in the morning.

Sakura unlocked the door and stood in the threshold. "Goodnight, sensei." She gave him a small smile. "And thank you." In the dim light radiating from the entrance hall, her eyes shined emerald out of her pale, drawn face and the light framed her petite hourglass shape most alluringly. For a moment, Kakashi found himself acutely aware of just how much his former pupil had grown.

 _I'd better get out of here._ He shook his head ruefully; he was more tired than he thought. Through his mask, he gave Sakura a small smile of his own and that familiar salute from her childhood days, before setting off down the street to get some much needed rest.

* * *

Sakura shut the door behind her instructor before reaching up to wipe the tears that had started gathering in her eyes. _What a night._ The elder Uchiha's appearance was more challenging to handle than she expected, although her sensei's words provided some comfort. He was right. Uchiha genes aside, Sasuke was who he was and Itachi was, well, pure evil. Besides, the ones who were truly suffering right now were Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. And Kurenei. _Poor Kurenei_.

As genin, there had always been a fair bit of gossip about the activities of and relationships among the sensei. Of course, Kakashi's rivalry with Guy was well known, but the interactions between Asuma and Kurenei had carried a great deal of mystery, at least for her and for Ino. Smiling sadly as she made the way up the stairs to the fourth floor of her building, Sakura remembered the gossip with which she and Ino used to entertain one another: _"Asuma-sensei was late to training this morning again; Hinata said that Kurenei-sensei was as well"; "Shikamaru says they've got to be dating; he heard his mother talking about them"; Choji saw them coming out of Ichiraku's last night… apparently they were_ holding hands _._ _"_ As a medic-nin, Sakura knew all about healing physical wounds, but she couldn't imagine what the team treating Kurenei now could possibly do. From her own limited experience, she knew well that wounds of the heart never truly went away.

Sakura unlocked her apartment and entered the small studio, breathing in the familiar air with relief. It felt as if she'd been gone for years, when really she'd only departed for her mistress's office just a few hours earlier. She set her keys down on the kitchen table and looked around, making a mental note to clean the kitchenette tomorrow. For now, the neatly tucked double bed by the window was calling her name.

It was a bit stuffy; the landlord had apparently turned on the heat in the building despite the warm night. Kneeling on the bed, Sakura opened the window and looked out, watching dreamily as a crow floated down and landed in a nearby tree, softly cawing. She loved this view of the village: the small, dusty side street below; the sleepy little rooftops of houses nearby; and of course the comforting view of the Hokage's tower and the faces of the five Hokages, carved into the sandstone.

Sakura yawned, glancing at the alarm clock on the small desk next to her bed. "2:46 AM" read the red neon light; no wonder she was exhausted.

Climbing off of the bed, the kunoichi undressed, neatly folding her red top and placing it over the back of her desk chair. Shrugging on a robe, she made her way into the bathroom; a quick shower would do her good.

Sakura turned on the light in the small, white-tiled room, gazing at her face in the medicine cabinet mirror. She didn't look too much the worse for wear, all things considered. Her oval face was perhaps a bit paler than usual and the shadows under her eyes were pronounced, but the irises themselves sparkled brightly back at her. Giving her reflection a small smile, Sakura began brushing her shoulder-length pink hair before moving on with the rest of her nightly routine.

She was in bed by three and asleep just a few minutes later, lulled by the warm breeze and the gentle cry of the bird outside her window.


	2. The Abduction

_[AN (short, this time around): As previously, I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 2. The Abduction**

A gentle _thud_ jolted Sakura out of a deep sleep. She gasped, sitting straight up in bed before she was even fully awake. Looking right, she was relieved to see that everything was as she'd left it: Her red top hung over the chair, the kitchen still needed a cleaning, the apartment door was locked and bolted. Then, she looked left, at the window next to her bed, and her heart stopped. A tall, slender man was crouched in the open window, red eyes peering at her through the dark.

"Sas-u-ke-kun…?" She breathed in shock, half-asleep.

"You're close." A chill went up her spine at the cold voice that responded to her query.

Her heart had started beating again, pounding in fear beneath her flimsy, light pink pajama top. _Uchiha Itachi was in her bedroom window!_ Remembering the Sharingan, she shut her eyes tightly and started fumbling in the dark with the covers, attempting to climb out of bed and away from that window as fast as possible.

"Don't bother, Sakura," came the measured voice. She shivered with a mix of disgust and pleasure at the sound of her name on his lips. _No, Sakura! It isn't Sasuke! This man will kill you!_

She was fully awake now and able to start assessing her situation. Flimsy satin pajamas be damned, she was still a kunoichi of the Leaf. Opening her eyes, she kept them fixed on the window ledge, where Itachi remained perched like a large bird… _a crow. The crow outside my window earlier... It was his summons!_

He was near the foot of her bed; a quick attack would do it. Channeling her chakra, she prepared herself to kick him out of the window and down onto the street below. Ninja or not, an unexpected fall out of a fourth floor window was going to hurt... _Wait, where was her chakra?_

"I told you not to bother." He had entered the room fully and was standing next to her bed, in line with her torso. He drew closer… his warm hands were on her body… he was lifting her up, out of the bed, easily leaving the sheets behind. She shuddered at his touch and shut her eyes again.

 _Fight, Sakura, fight! What is wrong with you?_ She shrieked in frustration and lashed out wildly. "Let me go!"

"No." _Teme!_ "Please don't make this difficult for yourself, Sakura. I'd prefer not to use my _eyes_."

 _Oh Kami… those eyes!_ Sakura stopped her thrashing; she certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of his Tsukuyomi! She remembered all too well how not only Sasuke but Kakashi himself had been placed in the hospital for weeks by the Mangekyo after back-to-back run-ins with Itachi. _What had Kakashi said about it? It was a lifetime of torture in a matter of seconds?_

"Very reasonable." It was as if he could read her thoughts. _Where was her strength? How had he reverted her to a little girl?_

She shrieked again, her fear getting the better of her, and she felt him shift her weight in his arms, getting a better grip on her. They were moving swiftly now: He clearly wanted to get her out of the area before someone heard her screams and decided to investigate. Keeping her eyes shut was beyond frustrating but… _did she dare to risk the alternative?_

She did. _After all, he said he didn't want to use it_. Sakura opened one eye, then the second. The Uchiha held her tightly in his arms, her torso pressed snugly up against his cloud-patterned Akatsuki robe. It she wasn't currently terrified for her life, Sakura would have been utterly embarrassed by the intimacy of their position.

They were already in the trees at the edge of the village. Craning around her captor's elbow, she saw the giant stone faces of the Hokage Rock fading in the distance. _The village!_ Sakura let out a wail, and Itachi looked down at her, flaming ruby eyes meeting her emerald green ones.

"I warned you, you know." All of a sudden her vision began to swim. Itachi disappeared, and she was back in bed in her apartment, peering out of an empty window. _Had it all been a dream?_ She lay flat in bed, but a sickening thought occurred to her: _This_ , her normal reality, _was genjutsu!_ She was powerless to resist.

* * *

Itachi reflected on the moment at hand as he sped through the forest, quickly leaving the Leaf Village behind, clutching Sakura to his chest. The escape had gone as well as he planned. Ensnaring his Anbu guards with the Mangekyo had been a feat, even with Jiraiya's assistance, but he had survived relatively unscatched, if somewhat exhausted. It was fortunate that the Leaf Village intelligence hadn't seemed to have caught on to some of the more deceptive ways he had come to use genjutsu.

After that, everything had progressed smoothly enough. Thanks to his crow, finding Sakura was a simple enough matter. As for subduing her, well, the Akatsuki sealing jutsu had worked as expected, but he had new concerns. Itachi glanced down at the girl in his arms. The genjutsu seemed to be working; she'd stopped her pesky movements and lay quietly now, forehead furrowed. She was a pretty one, he had to admit. Her light pink hair framed her well-proportioned face nicely, and her body itself was soft yet supple and toned thanks to years of training. While not nearly as developed as Tsunade herself, her chest was full and perky; he could see that much through her flimsy pajama top.

Most alluring, however, were those eyes. They were shut now, but when they had locked gazes earlier, he had felt an uncomfortable stirring deep within. The emerald itself was something, but he was most attracted to what he could read behind them: the softness and innocence of a girl combined with the intelligence and strength of a powerful ninja. Even now, he could feel the effect her eyes had had on him. She was going to be a dangerous adversary.

The sun was rising as he reached the edge of the Land of Fire, drawing close to his temporary hideout just over the border. With a bit of luck, they would have a week to rest up before moving on to the Land of Water where Kisame would be waiting. Itachi hoped that the combined forces of Jiraiya and the note he'd left in Sakura's apartment would keep the Leaf Village unaware of her disappearance for several days. At the very least, he had the element of surprise on his side. The Akatsuki's obsession with Naruto had the added bonus of making Sakura a less likely target.

 _Speaking of the kunoichi_... Sakura shifted in his arms, and Itachi readjusted his grip on her body. For an instant, his right palm brushed against her chest, and he felt that same, dull ache from earlier, deep within. _No._

* * *

Sakura awoke with a start to find herself lying on a low mattress, daylight streaming in through a large, round window to her left. Her head pounded as she slowly sat up, utterly disoriented. This wasn't her bedroom! Coming to think of it, it didn't look anything like any place she'd ever been in the Leaf.

"You're awake," a quasi-familiar voice observed. _Sasuke-kun!_ She shook her head and everything from last night came flooding back… the crow, the man in the window… _Itachi!_

"I need to get out of here!" Saruka mumbled to herself, eyes widening in panic.

"That wouldn't be wise," he murmured softly, his face emotionless as he locked eyes with her. "We're on the outskirts of a village full of thugs. I'd hate to have you run into any of them on your way out. Besides, I have plans for you."

It was the most words she'd ever heard him say at once. She blinked in momentary surprise before her face hardened. "What? You think I'm some soft, sweet girl? I am a kunoichi of the Leaf Village; no one will touch me!"

Itachi was struck by how pretty she was while angry; those eyes sparkled dangerously, and the passion pouring out of her was rather alluring, albeit wildly inappropriate for a ninja. He shut his eyes in an effort to break off such unwelcome thoughts and reopened them, feeling somewhat refreshed. "That's not going to work. Try attacking me."

"Gladly!" Sakura smiled toothily, her anger and frustration building up inside her. This man was pure evil; Akatsuki or not, she would make him pay for thinking he could kidnap her. Sakura shut her eyes, blocking out the evil, tauntingly blank face staring at her from across the room. _How dare he mock her!_ She concentrated and… something was wrong; _her chakra was still gone!_ "What did you do?" She asked, glowering at the Uchiha.

"Hn… a sealing jutsu. It's perfectly reversible... by me." He began to smirk at her obvious irritation but quickly dropped the expression as he found his eyes lingering longer than intended on the her full lips, which were parted slightly in surprise. Was the pink-haired girl really affecting him so strongly? Frustrated by his lack of composure and feeling a sudden thirst for fresh air, Itachi departed from the room, mentally chiding himself. He usually had _much_ better control than this.

* * *

Sakura was flabbergasted to find herself alone. She didn't see any traps on the stone walls, although the Uchiha was obviously a master at genjutsu. Perhaps this was her chance to make a break for it…. it was worth a try. She'd heard of these sealing jutsus before; usually, getting far enough out of range of the caster was enough to break them. If she could escape, even temporarily, she'd have a shot. Silently, she placed her feet on the cool stone floor and stood. Her body felt stiff and tired; had he taken advantage of her last night while she'd been unconscious? She wouldn't put it past a scum of the earth like _him_... but no, everything internally felt normal, at least as far as she could tell without chakra. She rushed to the door and placed her hand on the knob; however, before she could open it, there was a knock, and Itachi entered. _Crap, did he know I'd been about to flee?_ His face was impassive. "I thought you might want some clothes. I've prepared breakfast for once you've dressed."

He handed her a stack of folded clothing and shut the door again, barely seeming to notice Sakura's confused expression. _Clothes, breakfast?_ She unfolded a red tunic and black leggings and blushed lightly as she realized that Itachi had also procured underwear and a bra that _fit_ , and quickly dressed herself before making her way into the hall. Her bedroom was on the second floor: In addition to her room, there seemed to be a second bedroom (probably Itachi's; the door was shut) and a bathroom. After freshening up, she made her way down the wooden stairwell and into a small living area, which opened into the kitchen, noticing for future reference that the only exit, other than the windows, seemed to be the front door across from the stairs.

Itachi was sitting at a small table, set for two. He'd already eaten but had left a plate for her at the empty place. _Toast and eggs; is this what an Akatsuki member feeds his captive?_ With every small interaction, Sakura was becoming increasingly confused by this strange enigma of a man.

Sakura sat down and eyed Itachi beadily, wondering how receptive he'd be to some questioning. His jet black eyes were fixed on her impassively. Well, there was nothing for it; as had almost always been the case with Sasuke, it seemed that she'd need to take the initiative if she want to hold any sort of conversation. Taking a bite of egg, she met his eyes. "Why am I here?"

"I can't tell you at this time." A _t least he answered... that was something._

"What do you want from me?"

"I can't tell you that either."

She was growing frustrated, and her ire was making her bold. "The Leaf will find me."

Sakura's eyes glinted, steel green, and Itachi felt a stirring again, deep within his repressed self. _Whatever this kunoichi lacked in anger management, she apparently made up for in nerve._ "I'm already taking precautions to prevent that. They won't find you until I want them to."

His voice was so, unnaturally even. It utterly enraged her; the man controlled himself far better than even Kaka-sensei. _Kind of l_ _ike Sai, but he seems a bit less emotionally stunted._ "What _can_ you tell me, then?" Sakura asked, glowering at his handsome, evil face.

This time, he paused before speaking, as if weighing his options. "We will be here, resting for several days."

"Why? Why not just take me off to the ends of the earth with the rest of your Akatsuki brethren?"

There was a long pause. Then, "I didn't take you for the Akatsuki, Sakura," came the reply.

 _WHAT? Then why am I here?_ Sakura's head was pounding again. Things weren't matching up. Where was the evil killer who massacred his entire clan without a care in the world? By her reckoning, she should be dead right now or, worse, locked in some hellhole, not calmly eating breakfast in a cheery kitchen. She needed to go lie down, to escape from this handsome, twisted man who looked far too much like Sasuke-kun and process the situation. She rose, and Itachi watched her, catlike, as she turned away from him. _Those eyes. It was all too much. Far too much..._

* * *

An unfamiliar hunger grew deep in Itachi's belly as Sakura silently exited the kitchen and made her way back to the stairs. He was no stranger to women and had tangled with more than his fair share of enemies, yet her particularly brand of defiance was proving to be dangerous. Despite his best efforts to maintain control, he felt his crotch begin to tighten beneath his dark robes. Did she know what she was doing to him? _Probably not; she's too naive to realize._ To his absolute disgust, the thought excited his body more.

Sakura had just moved out of his sight when he heard a soft gasp and a thud. Pushing his unwanted lust out of his head, he swiftly made his way to the stairwell to find that the kunoichi had apparently fainted. He knelt next to her and wrapped her in his arms the same way he did last night, the monster inside him goading him on. _That's right, it would be so easy… just take her upstairs and…"_

Perhaps it was time to see what sort of entertainment the village offered. If he stayed alone with this girl any longer in his current state, he was going to do something he regretted, self-control be damned.


	3. The Flight

_[AN: Trigger warning: Assault. Thanks for the follows/favorites and my first review! As usual, I do not own Naruto._

 _RE: Esther-himechan, as in canon, the vast majority of the characters do not know the truth about the massacre at this time (and the few that do haven't spoken up about it). We'll be getting in to this more as the story progresses!]_

 **Chapter 3: The Flight**

Sakura awoke some time later back in her bedroom, feeling slightly lightheaded. Someone... _Itachi_ had tucked her snugly under the covers. She'd never fainted before; then again, she'd never been kidnapped from the Leaf Village by the exceedingly handsome yet murderous brother of her childhood crush and served a leisurely toast and egg breakfast while held against her will in a stone cottage before either.

Where was Itachi? Standing, she realized that a pair of flats had been left for her next to the bed. _It's as if he wants me to run away,_ Sakura mused, _like he's daring me. Is this some sort of game?_ If so, she would call his bluff. Silently, she made her way down the stairs and out the front door, breathing in the fresh, country air. It appeared that Itachi had gone out as well and left her alone in the house. _If he needed her badly enough to kidnap her, why didn't he have her under lock and key?_

She also wondered where she was-it definitely wasn't within the Land of Fire. The house was set up on a hill, and the landscape was much more open than her homeland; a fortunate thing, because it allowed her to easily spot the town Itachi had mentioned. _What had he said about it... a town of thieves? Well, even if that were true, he was one to judge._ Besides, she was lost and in need of assistance, direction, and supplies. She'd have to take her chances.

Sakura gingerly made her way away from the stone cottage in the direction of the town, eyes peeled for traps that Itachi may have set for her. The day was warm, and she found herself wishing that Itachi has provided something a bit lighter than full-length leggings.

The village was quiet and exceedingly humble. As Sakura walked along the main road, she observed that most of the businesses were boarded up. Moreover, it looked like Itachi hadn't lied about the rogues; the few people she passed on the street seemed decidedly unsavory, didn't meet her eye, and passed by before she could even consider asking for directions. This was starting to feel like one of those seedy towns Jiraiya had dragged her and Naruto to once or twice back when he first became Naruto's master, but this time, she had no hyperactive blonde to accompany her.

 _What would Jiraiya do? Find a bar, probably. Or a brothel. Somewhere with people who know something._ The latter didn't seem to be Sakura's speed, so a bar it was. About two-thirds up the road, she spotted one. An old, wooden sign was dangling in the breeze, and it had a distinctive saloon style. Steeling herself, Sakura pushed her way through the doors, hoping against hope that she'd find someone friendly.

The interior was dark and dingy; it took Sakura several minutes for her eyes to adjust. An old, knobby, wooden bar was on the far side of the room, and there were about twenty round tables placed haphazardly in between it and the door. Sakura's heart sank as she eyed the clientele; they looked decidedly unsavory as a whole. A few old men sat in one corner; perhaps they'd be the best bet. Before she could make her way over; however, an oily voice called out to her.

"Looking for a good time, baby?" The caller appeared to be from a table of five middle-aged men seated closest to where she stood. The leader, a squat, balding man smiled at her, waggling his finger in a revolting, "come hither" way. He was missing several teeth.

Sakura's fists clenched in anger; how dare he talk to her like that! She felt her rage building and hoped, but still no chakra. _Itachi must still be within range. Damn him! I may be in trouble._

Frustrated, the kunoichi turned to leave; it seemed that the Uchiha had told her the truth about this place after all. "Don't go honey! Hey fellas, check out the backside on that one!" Sakura felt her cheeks go scarlet. Embarrassed and realizing that she was quite defenseless, she hurried out before she attracted any more attention and made her way the rest of the way up the road, disappointed to see that she was out of options. Perhaps, she'd leave this cesspool behind and chance the wilds herself. Surely, she'd eventually find someone who could help her.

It wasn't until she reached the far end of town that Sakura realized something: The men from the bar were bolder than they'd looked and were following her. _Dammit, I should have paid them more heed. This is bad._

Sakura broke into a run, but the men soon caught up; Itachi's sealing jutsu was turning out to be quite the curse. "Where you going, sweetheart? You don't want to have fun?" The youngest-looking of the men grab her wrist, twisting it hard. While no shinobi, he was strong or, at least, stronger than her in her current, drained state.

She fell, and he pounced, straddling her in the middle of the road. "Get off of me!" She yelled angrily, eyes wide with fear as she felt something hard pressing against her thigh. It had been years since she'd felt this lost and exposed.

The man laughed, grey eyes shining maliciously as his fetid, drunken breath wafted over her. "Oh yeah, just how I like my women, ready, willing, and feisty! Hold her down boys!"

Before she knew it, the four other men each had her by an arm or a leg, grabbing at her exposed flesh. Fortunately, the leggings protected her thighs somewhat, but her arms were exposed and all the grabbing and pinching _hurt_. The man on top of her took out a knife and began cutting off her top. "Keep squirming, and you're going to end up with scars, Girlie," he leered down at her.

"Aw, Banko, why do you always get the hot ones first? We're doing all the _work_ here," one of the henchmen on Sakura's legs whined as he took a knee to the nose.

"You can go next, Hideki!" Banko leered down at Sakura. "You ready, Baby?"

Sakura shrieked again, flailing against her attackers. _Not like this-I don't want to lose it like this,_ she thought desperately, fighting back the fat tears that were beginning to spill down her cheeks.

Rapid footsteps were approaching- _she was saved!_ "Itachi, please!" Sakura cried out, desperately. "Please, help!"

* * *

The brothel had been… serviceable. Itachi had been hoping for a blonde, but this hadn't been an option, so he went with the youngest-looking whore, a simple, round-faced girl with a bit of Sakura's innocent look ("look" being the operative word; he knew these girls were in no way innocent). The sex was fine, if unimaginative. Whatever fire Sakura had lit within him that morning had apparently gone out; he came, paid up, and was on his way within an hour. A waste of some ryo, a condom, and a bit more of whatever pride he could still claim to have these days, but hopefully it would help him control himself over the next several weeks.

Down the road, Itachi noticed a group of drunk, foul-mouthed men. Adjusting the brim of his hat to fully cover his eyes, he initially paid them little mind. They were hollering about some slut; nothing for him to be concerned about. That was, until he heard something about "yanking that bubblegum pink hair of hers real good…"

With that, they'd just made themselves his problem. Itachi followed the men with his eyes, keeping a safe distance in case he was somehow wrong. It was his policy to never interfere, never attract attention. After all, as one of the most wanted men in the world, the last thing he usually needed was to become involved in petty disputes that threatened to blow his carefully arranged cover. Now that he was responsible for Sakura, however, things had become a bit more complicated.

The men had stopped in the road; they'd evidently found their target, and it was, unsurprisingly, Sakura. Well, there was nothing for it. Fortunately, it appeared that they were just run-of-the-mill thieves. The kunoichi herself would have usually had no problem with handling them herself, if it wasn't for the seal depleting her chakra. Which meant that this situation was all Itachi's fault. Well, he was already a damned man; this was just one more stroke against him.

Sakura appeared to have sensed his presence. The repressed sensation deep within him bubbled up again, swelling further in response to her plaintive cry. _Now is not the time._ He approached wordlessly. No need to even consider using his Sharingan here; a simple fireball jutsu should send the fools running. "Hands off." He commanded.

The men were too drunk to see sense. "Make me," the man atop Sakura leered, not even looking up at him.

"Fine _._ " Itachi exhaled, and a plume of flame shot over the group. Not his best work by any stretch of the imagination, but it didn't need to be against these fools.

"What the hell was that?" The man holding Sakura's left arm jumped up in terror and was quickly followed by most of his peers. Itachi was surprised how _good_ it felt to send the bastards running; he hadn't felt this much emotion towards any of his enemies in more than a decade.

One target remained… the ringleader. He still knelt over Sakura, the combination of alcohol and lust apparently making him bold. "Well, Girlie, doesn't look like we'll be getting to know one another today after all," he breathed down to her. "If I can't have you, might as well leave you something to remember me by. The man hit Sakura hard across the face, and she fell silent. Then, Itachi saw him reach into his pocket, his eyes drawn to the flash of metal. _The bastard had a knife!_ Itachi rushed in to pull the man away, but he was too late. Sakura let out a semiconscious gasp of pain as the man stabbed her in the abdomen, and he cackled, too drunk to properly know how much danger his life was now in.

"I said, get off of her!" Itachi scarcely recognized his own voice. Something inside him had snapped; the cool, calm demeanor he had spent years of his life cultivating had vanished. Enraged, he grabbed the man by his neck and flung him away from the girl. He landed in a heap four or five feet down the road; Itachi could care less if he were dead or alive.

He moved closer to inspect Sakura, dismayed by her stillness. While no medical nin, Itachi could see that the stab wound was nothing serious; if not properly healed, it would leave a scar on her lovely torso, but it was quite shallow. Bruises were blooming on both of her arms, as well as a nasty-looking one on her neck. He couldn't see how her legs had fared thanks to the leggings but suspected that they would be in similar shape to her arms. Lifting her once again into his arms, Itachi peered into her face, the wide brim of his straw hat shading her from the glaring sun. Her eyes were little more than slits. They sparkled emerald green with tears, drawing him in, and he resisted a sudden, shameful urge to kiss her quivering, pink lips.

Striding quickly, he cut around the back of town (no need to attract more attention on the main road) and made his way back to the cottage, Sakura crying silent tears in his arms. It wasn't until he had crossed the threshold that he realized: Sometime between his departure from the brothel and his arrival at the cottage, his Sharingan had activated unbidden.

 _She was getting under his skin._

* * *

Itachi carried Sakura into her bedroom, slowly setting her down on the pale pink bed sheets. Her eyes were shut; had she fainted again? It seemed likely. His dark eyes flickered over the girl's body, assessing the extent of the damage to the best of his abilities. The bruises he'd noticed on her arms and neck were darkening… the one on her left bicep looks particularly nasty. The stab wound had stopped bleeding; he could smell her blood on his robes. It was about three inches long, a quarter inch wide, and nothing to be particularly concerned about, although he would bandage it up. She was holding one of her legs oddly, which called for some investigation. They needed to be on the move in the next few days, and Itachi hoped dearly that this wouldn't slow them down. While it had only been a day, he knew the Leaf Village would soon be missing her. Moreover, there was the matter of Kisame. Their rapport was surprisingly good, but Itachi knew that patience wasn't exactly the man's strong point. Too much time away, and the Monster of the Hidden Mist might grow curious… and the last thing Itachi wanted was someone from the Akatsuki poking around his private affairs. The shark-man was a dependable partner, but Itachi had less than no interest in seeing how deep his personal loyalties lay.

His eyes returned to Sakura's face. There was nothing for it; the leggings needed to come off. Gently, ever so gently, he pulled down the waistband, willing the girl to stay unconscious for fear of what she'd do awake. A lump rose in his throat as his hands brushed against her soft, warm thighs; he suppressed it and continued undressing her, eyes locked on her newly revealed flesh. As he pulled the pants down to her knees, she twitched, brow furrowing in discomfort. _Right knee_. Delicately, so as to not hurt her further, Itachi placed his hands on either side of the joint. It seemed to be just a sprain, nothing to be overly concerned about and something she'd be able to easily fix herself. That is, if he ever felt comfortable enough to lift the seal.

She moaned lightly, responding in evident pain to his touch, and Itachi felt that dull, nagging ache deep within his belly once again. _NOT THE TIME._ Letting go of her knee, he shut his eyes, cleared his mind, and continued with his inspection, slowly peeling the leggings off, one foot at a time. Overall, she wasn't physically too injured, beyond the knee; nothing some salve and a couple of bandages wouldn't heal. Of course, her mental state could be another story. She had been hit in the head, and, while Itachi was confident from the dismay of the would-be rapists that he had arrived before things had progressed very far, it was hard to say how she would react to the attack. After all, she was still young, and, as his years of intelligence gathering on Hatake's team indicated, quite sheltered.

"Be right back," he murmured, largely to himself, as he stood and made his way to the bathroom to grab some supplies. Returning to the room, his eyes were immediately drawn back to his patient. Bruised though she was, she remained a lovely picture of innocence; the black underwear contrasting against her pale skin, her chest slowly rising and falling to her steady breathing, her green eyes staring back at his dazedly. _She was awake!_

* * *

Sakura's head was swimming as she slowly opened her eyes. The air was cool; it felt refreshing against her warm, exposed skin. Somehow, she'd gotten undressed and was lying on the bed in just her underwear. She moved her left arm back to prop herself up and gasped in discomfort. What _had_ happened to her? Looking to her left, she discovered that a large, dark bruise had blossomed over her upper arm. She concentrated hard. A village… some men… yelling… twisting limbs… terror… but someone had saved her. _Who?_

The door to the bedroom swung open. "Sasuke-kun!" She cried weakly. Of course, it was Sasuke who had saved her; just as he always had.

"Sasuke" approached her bed, unsmiling, and carefully sat down by her right knee. Making room, she moved her leg right and felt another shooting pain. "Don't move. I don't want you to injure yourself further," he commanded, gently taking her leg into his warm hands and beginning to wrap the joint. His touch was firm yet soothing.

"I'm going to need to bandage your torso next. Can you sit up?" Sakura nodded and pressed her hands down into mattress, slowly rising to a seated position with her legs remaining stretched. Their faces were quite close to one another's now; she could feel his soft breath on her skin. His hair swept across his forehead, and she watch, mesmerized, as he carefully bandaged a wound she'd somehow gotten on her side.

He finished work, and their eyes met, his dark yet empty, like tunnels, drawing her into him. Her cheeks grew hot, and she felt an unfamiliar fire ignite, fueling her onward. Hesitantly, she raised her chin slightly, her eyes darting to his soft lips. Leaning forward, she closed the gap, and their lips met. _She was doing it-she was kissing Sasuke!_

His lips quivered under hers. Was it in surprise? Pleasure? She opened her eyes, hoping to see the latter and was met instead by the blazing red of his Sharingan. As her vision grew foggy, Sakura let out a gasp of horror, the memories of the past day flooding back to her all at once. _Those eyes… it wasn't Sasuke, it was Itachi!_


	4. The Sealing Jutsu

_[AN: Thanks again for the follows/favorites/comments! Itachi has a bit of a layered plan in place (that I'm still working out a bit in my head, TBH), so it will take some time for all to be revealed. If you're curious, please bear with me! As previously, I do not own Naruto. In addition, please note yet again that this story is rated M for mature content. Edited 12/2/17 to address feedback from Silvercoco on Chapter 3... thanks so much for the input! I see your point about Sakura still having a brain/the ability to use Taijutsu despite the seal. My take on the situation with the thugs: There's a lot of fear/emotional trauma coming into play (she's somewhat sheltered to begin with, lacking her biggest weapons, and feeling quite exposed/vulnerable), which prevents her from reacting as she usually might... in short, she freezes up.]_

 **Chapter 4: The Sealing Jutsu**

 _This was bad._ After almost a decade with the Akatsuki, there was little left in Itachi's life for him to be proud of. Years of crime, not to mention the slaughtering of his cursed clan, had forever blackened his name. He was powerful, of course; he'd seen last night during his reception in the village how feared his Mangekyo Sharingan was. In truth, there was little to pride himself on there. His eyes were impressive, to be sure, but he was little more than an Akatsuki flunky these days, and he'd had enough of infamy to last him the rest of his miserable life. As for his looks, well, he knew how easily he attracted the gaze of women _and_ men, but he had long ago stopped caring. No, one of the few things that Itachi truly prided himself on at this point was his self-control, and now that had apparently vanished as well.

He'd known as soon as he'd re-entered the room and heard Sakura's cry that he was done for. The blow to the head had utterly addled her, and he was powerless to resist his attraction, wrong as it was. As her lips approached his, the hunger that he'd been fighting to suppress ever since he'd stolen her from her bedroom in Konoha rose up as one force, drowning out all else. The softness of her lips against his was delightful; gentle as a spring breeze and alluringly hesitant. _Has she ever even done this before?_ He thought not, and the concept was mind-numbingly attractive, foolish little brother's affections be damned. He knew, of course, that her desires were misplaced, but her passion was overwhelming. He'd been emotionally alone for virtually a decade, starved of such interactions, and he greedily drank her in.

An evil thought occurred to him then. If she truly thought he was his brother, what was to stop him from pushing things further? It was clear that she was utterly smitten with Sasuke. How easy it would be… she was willing and likely ready given the smoldering look in her eyes. An image of her pale, naked body, wrapped tightly around his own burned in his mind, and Itachi fought the urge to bite down on her lower lip.

Below him, Sakura's green eyes blazed, and Itachi made his decision. He couldn't do it; not with her like this, dazed from an attack whose responsibility rested largely on his shoulders, thinking that she was giving herself to his younger brother. He could never stoop so low. More practically speaking, there was his plan to consider. If he succumbed now, he'd be unlikely to ever earn her trust. Gazing directly into the flashing emeralds below him, he activated his eyes, and the girl fell back stunned, the look of intense dismay of her face making it clear that he'd been recognized by his trademark. Mission accomplished, Itachi took a deep breath, stood, and exited the darkening room. Twilight was falling and, while he wasn't particularly hungry (at least not for food), he suspected that Sakura would be wanting some dinner when she woke.

* * *

He returned several hours later, plate in hand. Night had fallen outside, and the girl's room was dark. Itachi welcomed the shadows. Having lived in them for much of his life, they provided comfort, a place to hide. In the distance, he heard an owl hoot outside. Was it a signal? The alarms he'd set around the cottage several days ago hadn't activated. They seemed to be safe, for now.

Itachi placed the plate of stew down on the bedside table and focused his attention on the girl before him, settling into the chair across from her bed. She had been under his genjutsu for hours, but showed no sign of waking. Of course, her chakra was sealed, but he was still somewhat dismayed by the girl's apparent lack of fighting spirit. He'd seen the results of her battle with Sasori; with the help of the admittedly powerful Chiyo, she'd destroyed their entire fortress, not to mention an army of human puppets. Was her mind not equal to her physical strength? _That could pose a problem._

Reaching into his pocket, Itachi took out a matchbox, struck the match, and lit a nearby candle. Glancing back at the bed, green eyes met his own dark ones. _She was awake after all!_ "Funny that an Uchiha would bother with a match," Sakura commented coldly, gaze meeting his own in defiance. "I thought yours was a clan of fire users?"

He suppressed his smirk- _that was more like it!_ "Why waste my chakra?" She fell silent, and he waited, secure in the thought that he possessed far more patience than she could ever dream of. Five minutes, six, they sat in the dimly lit room, unspeaking.

Sakura had turned her face away from his, facing the wall. "It wasn't meant for you, you know."

"I know that. You thought I was my brother."

She didn't seem to like his response very much. Rising up to a seated position, she glared at him, malice in your eye, as she spat back, "You could at least pretend you liked it! Monster! How _dare_ you even mention him!"

Itachi was taken aback by the first part of her outburst. _Why did that matter?_ "I… did." In fact, he had enjoyed it more than he could say. Sakura's eyes widened before darting downwards, and her cheeks turned rosy. "You hadn't kissed anyone before, had you?"

She shook her head "no," not looking up. _As expected._ Deep down, the dark, perverted part of him cackled, but he quickly blocked it out. He was coming to realize that she was exposing him to a whole new kind of emotional training, but he would learn. He needed to if he stood a chance of surviving.

"I'm… sorry."

"LIAR!"

An uncomfortable silence fell again, as Itachi weighed his options. He could always ignore her, but perhaps a simpler, straighter course would be best. He stood, and saw the girl quiver. _Was that fear?_ He suspected so. He locked eyes with her again, observing the pain behind her rage. "I am many things, Sakura, most of which are despicable, but I am no liar. You can trust me."

With that, he broke her gaze and strode out of the room. That was enough for one night. Besides, it was growing late, and he needed some time with his thoughts.

* * *

Sakura awoke early the next morning, stomach gurgling fiercely. As she dressed, her mind ran through the events of yesterday, her body stiff from the beating she'd taken in the village. While _that_ had certainly been disturbing, she found the predicament in which she now found herself more so.

Since Sasuke's defection, Sakura had thrown herself, heart and soul into her training, growing stronger that she'd once thought possible. She'd grown physically powerful, of course, but her mind had undergone an even greater transformation. Tsunade was by no means an easy woman: Her high expectations made her difficult to please, and her legendary physical strength was matched by an equally intimidating temper. Through her medical-nin training and almost five years as a member of her mistress's inner circle, Sakura had learned patience and persistence, gaining grit, self-confidence, and valuable observational skills. And yet, despite her training, Uchiha Itachi had reduced her in a matter of minutes to the helpless, frightened genin she thought she'd left behind.

Everything about this man, his actions, his emotions, his intent, was shrouded in mystery. Of course, Sakura knew his history. Infinitely gifted, he had progressed through the ranks of Konoha faster than any other shinobi in memory, joining the elite Anbu while still little more than a boy. The Uchiha had been a proud clan-Sakura knew this well from her interactions with Sasuke-and Itachi had seemed their crown jewel, destined for greatness.

That was, until he was the cause of their destruction. Sakura knew almost nothing about the details of that night. Understandably scarred, Sasuke had never told her much of it, and Kakashi had frowned dismissively the one time she'd dared to ask. It seemed ludicrous that one man could take down an entire clan of talented, Sharingan-wielding nin-never mind the emotions of doing this to your family, the logistics behind it were impossible to comprehend-and yet it had somehow happened.

What followed was even murkier; Itachi had quickly fled, only to resurface months later as a member of the dreaded Akatsuki. Paired with Kisame, Monster of the Hidden Mists, he stayed away from the Leaf for quite some time, before returning about five years ago. Sakura's fists clenched in anger. That was when all her troubles had really began.

He was after Naruto, she'd later been told by Tsunade. Or, at least, the Nine-Tailed Fox inside her best friend. Sakura knew this to be true (after all, she'd recently been intimately involved in the recovery of Gaara, a fellow jinchuuriki, from the Akatsuki's clutches), and yet it seemed to her that Naruto was not his only target. While she hadn't been there in person, she'd heard firsthand from Naruto about Itachi's run-in with Sasuke: How Sasuke had sworn to kill the man and come at him, Chidori blazing, only to be tossed aside and tortured mercilessly by his older brother. Sakura knew that this confrontation was what had driven Sasuke to Orochimaru and felt with every fiber in her being that this had also been Itachi's intent, a tidy way of finishing off his clan and removing the threat to his life.

It all made sense, or, at least, it had until her abduction. As she played their interactions from the past twenty-four hours over in her head, the picture she had painted of Itachi as a soulless, cold-blooded killer grew cloudy. He was acting alone, he'd told her, independent from his Akatsuki brethren. What's more, he wanted her to _trust_ him. The idea was laughable given all the trouble he had caused, and yet, he had shown a curious amount of care for her yesterday: providing her with food and clothing, coming to her rescue when beset upon by thugs (of course, with the major caveat that he _had_ prevented her from defending herself in the first place by sealing off her chakra), caring for her wounds, and then, last night, failing to take advantage of her despite the fact that she had literally thrown herself at him. It wasn't as if he didn't want her, either. His eyes were unreadable, and yet he had said himself that he enjoyed the kiss. Had it been anyone else, she would have thought that he was trying to make her feel better, but surely Uchiha Itachi didn't possess such human decency?

Sakura entered the kitchen and was presented with the same scene that had greeted her yesterday: The Uchiha seated at the table, facing her, a plate of toast and eggs at her empty place. Their eyes met, and she felt her cheeks warm, remembering last night's interaction. Steeling herself, she held his gaze this time, willing the blush to reside. Then, her stomach grumbled loudly, and Sakura sat down quickly, launching into the breakfast. It had been a day since she'd last eaten anything, and she was ravenous.

* * *

The girl downed her breakfast impressively fast, but then again, he supposed she was probably starving at this point. He was relieved to see that she didn't seem too worse for wear this morning; it boded well for the future.

Itachi was feeling much more in control this morning. He'd never been an optimist, and a decade with the Akatsuki certainly hadn't turned him into one, but his confidence was renewed by Sakura's vigor. He had a lot he'd be putting on her shoulders in the coming months, and he thought he'd made his choice wisely, but the way things had gone yesterday had troubled him. While her behavior hadn't been ideal, he was particularly disenchanted with his own. He was unsurprised by her physical attraction toward him-after all, his family's genes were strong-but he hadn't expected to feel any sort of emotional pull himself. He thought he'd permanently walled off the feelings that had risen up yesterday long ago.

She was done eating; he could sense her luminous green eyes watching him. "Thanks for the food." Her voice was small and a bit subdued.

Itachi nodded wordlessly. Then, he pounced. "Sakura, tell me… how do you feel about my brother?"

He could see that she'd been expecting some sort of question, but not that. Her face went pale with shock and pain that soon switched over to white-hot anger. "That's none of your business! Besides, why should you care; you want him dead!"

"I don't wish Sasuke dead, Sakura." He replied calmly, smirking with amusement at the passion etched into her face. _Well, I have my answer; she cares very deeply for him. Although, really… for a ninja she's downright terrible at hiding her emotions._ _We may need to work on that; I can't believe Hatake let this behavior slide._

"Fine then! If not dead, you want him to be a vessel for Orochimaru!"

At the name "Orochimaru," Itachi felt his own fist clench in irritation. It was a tell, but, of course, Sakura was in such a heightened state of ire that she didn't notice. "Why would I ever want to help Orochimaru?" He asked, fighting to keep his voice as even as possible.

"Oh, well, I don't know-because you're both evil? Because he was part of the Akatsuki? Because you want Sasuke-kun out of the way to finish what you started before he kills you?"

Itachi let out a long, slow sigh of frustration. He could see her point; from her perspective, his actions could be misconstrued. "Hn, well, I suppose I'll need to fill you in a bit," he murmured softly.

He saw her eyes widen in curiosity; he was getting through to her! Then, they narrowed. "How can I trust what you're going to tell me?"

Itachi smirked once again. Apparently, she'd learned _something_ under Hatake and the Godaime, even if her emotional control left a lot to be desired. _Although, I suppose there's no big surprise there, given Tsunade herself._ What could he offer her as a bargaining chip? There was one obvious thing he could do. It would be risky, given the kunoichi's monstrous strength, but he liked to think his Sharingan would still give him an edge. Besides, if he wanted that sprained ankle of hers healed, he'd need to let her go some time soon. "What if I do… _this_?" He asked, motioning his hands to lift the seal he'd placed on her the night of her capture.

Sakura's eyes widened. "What did you-" She broke off as she evidently felt the chakra flooding back. "You lifted the seal?"

"Ah, I did." He stood slowly, just in case she decided to launch forward with an attack, prepared to activate his eyes if pressed.

The girl smiled aggressively, evidently feeling much more powerful now that she had her chakra back. "All right, I'm listening. Tell me what you have to say."

 _Please_ , Itachi added mentally. After all, _she_ was still _his_ prisoner, and he still had his eyes. _She'd do well to remember that._ "You're right, Sakura. Orochimaru was once a member of Akatsuki," Itachi began slowly. Perhaps he'd draw this out, just to show her who really had the control.

"I know that already."

"He was the partner of Sasori of the Red Sands. Ring any bells?"

"Yes, of course. Chiyo and I _killed_ him a few months ago, you know."

 _She was delightful when angry._ "But, as you observed, Sasori's partner had changed by the time you and your team confronted him."

"Yes, _obviously_. I know Orochimaru isn't part of Akatsuki anymore, okay? Move on!"

"But do you know why…?"

Her mouth, which had opened to no doubt mutter some sort of threat or insult, hung open in surprise. _He thought not_. After all, most didn't.

"Think, Sakura," he instructed her, curious to see how much her instructors in the Leaf had told her. "What does Sasuke have that Orochimaru wants?"

"His body," Sakura replied quickly. She blushed ( _although she actually wasn't incorrect about that,_ Itachi mused darkly). "I mean, to use as a vessel." Then, angrily. "Oh come on, I already know that! Besides, what does that have to do with his defection from Akatsuki?"

"We're getting there…" Itachi said slowly. He was taking a perverse pleasure in tormenting her. "Tell me, what is so special about Sasuke's body, Sakura?"

"Why… you...!" Her cheeks turned beet red in embarrassment and rage. Itachi's eyes flashed with amusement, the pure blackness swirling into his black and red Sharingan, for the sake of caution, but also as a clue. She broke his gaze, staring down at the floor, as she got ready to charge. _This could hurt_. Then, he saw her shoulders relax, and she looked up, meeting eyes with him once again. "Oh, I've got it. Orochimaru wants Sasuke-kun's Sharingan. But why?"

Itachi knew why, of course, but he didn't want to go there with her. At least, not at this time. She was already worked up enough about Sasuke without broaching the subject of her other teammate. "The Sharingan has certain… _abilities_ , Sakura," he murmured, eye swirling menacingly. He suspected that that would shut her up.

Green eyes dropped instantly to the floor, and Itachi found himself missing them. "Er, yes, of course…" she said a bit hesitantly.

 _She doesn't trust me._ "There are only a few of us left in the world with these eyes, Sakura."

"Because you killed all the others. Because you're an evil bastard. I KNOW THAT!" He didn't need his Sharingan to sense the chakra starting to well out of her. He'd better make this quick.

"Sakura, think. If you were Orochimaru, which would you prefer? A half-trained, young nin with a chip on his shoulder," _she was going to make him regret that one if he didn't hurry; he only had a few seconds before she exploded,_ "Or, well, me?"

He braced himself for a blow, but it never came. Instead, the girl stood, dumbfounded, staring at him in sheer amazement. "Wait… Orochimaru… tried to possess… _you_?"

Itachi's jaw clenched at the memory. "Indeed. It was soon after I joined the Akatsuki. Like he stood a chance." He took a deep, calming breath before continuing. "Needless to say the other Akatsuki members didn't like it."

"Why not? You can't tell me you actually _care_ about each other?"

Itachi could have laughed, but, that wasn't his style. "Hn, of course not. The Akatsuki view one another as _rivals_ , Sakura. Each man is looking for an edge, something to gain the upper hand, while keeping the rest of the cohort downtrodden." He found his thoughts drifting back to his little brother. "If Orochimaru gets the Sharingan, he'll be unstoppable. I can't let that happen."

* * *

Sakura felt as if she was standing on her head, as if somehow it turned out that 1 + 1 had somehow always equaled 8 ½, but she hadn't ever realized it until today. Her mind was whirling as she sought to absorb everything Uchiha Itachi was telling her. _Orochimaru wanted the Sharingan! And the Akatsuki or, at least, Itachi wanted to stop him! Did that mean they were on the same side? Things still weren't adding up._

"But it's in his clutches now," Sakura burst out. "And it's all your fault. You drove Sasuke-kun right to him!"

Itachi frowned at her, and Sakura realized that she wasn't used to seeing so much expression on his face. "I did what I had to do, Sakura. It was a necessary, temporary measure. I certainly don't plan on sacrificing my brother to Orochimaru permanently."

She didn't follow and didn't care to at that time. Haruno Sakura had run out of patience, and there would be hell to pay. Chakra rising in her belly, she rushed the Uchiha, hoping to catch him unaware with a deadly punch to his handsome face. That was, until she was stopped in her tracks mere inches from him. "I didn't even… look!" She gasped in frustration. Just like Kakashi had said to do when facing an Uchiha, she'd keep her eyes fixed on the ground the whole time.

"My genjutsu doesn't play fair, Sakura." His voice was so smooth and soft, inky black in its intensity. "I don't need your eyes to take control."

 _Dammit. Well, it had been worth a try, at any rate._ "All right then, you win. Go on. Finish your story." If she couldn't hit him, she could at least collect more information. After all, if she ever managed to make it back to the Leaf, she suspected that Tsunade would kill for the Akatsuki secrets he was freely telling her.

She looked up into Itachi's face. His eyes were rather, well, mesmerizing like that, she had to admit. She felt a fire ignite within her belly yet again, and this time, it wasn't chakra. _Wait a second, was he smirking?!_ As a teammate and founding member of the Uchiha Sasuke fan club, she'd recognize that look anywhere.

He nodded at her. _Arrogant, self-satisfied Teme!_ "You're not going to like this, but at the time of my last encounter, I was surprised at how fragile, how _weak_ Sasuke was. He may have had the Chidori in his arsenal, but his Sharingan was child's play, and he was controlled completely by his emotions."

Sakura wanted to scream ( _Of course he was weak; you fucked him up!)_ but held her tongue. It was most important to see this through, and it was, admittedly, rather interesting. At the very least, it was giving her a fascinating view into a twisted psychopath's world.

Itachi's eyes were shrouded in darkness. "The night I killed my clan, I spared my brother, Sakura. I had my reasons then, and they remain the same now. It may sound cruel, but he's grown under Orochimaru; I'm sure you know this. Never forget, Orochimaru is one of the legendary Sannin, just like your Tsunade and Naruto's Jiraiya." He paused, and his lips twitched in what Sakura realized might almost have been a smile. "You could say I _leased_ my brother to Orochimaru, Sakura. But now, it's time to drag him back, and that's where you come in."

 _Well, on some twisted level, that did make sense._


	5. The Tactician

_[AN: Well, that happened. Hopefully, it's not too sudden... it felt right to me, so I went with it._ _ **IMPORTANT**_ _: Please remember that this story is rated M for_ _ **MATURE CONTENT.**_ _Not into it? If you'd like to keep reading but don't like mature scenes, please stop at "Did she?" As usual, I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 5: The Tactician**

They seemed to have come to an unspoken agreement to give one another space for the rest of that day. Following the close of their conversation, Sakura had wordlessly returned to her room, and she heard Itachi do the same about an hour or so later. She sat on her bed, looking out the window at the shadows cast by the late afternoon sun, mind racing as she attempted to process, integrate, and weigh all she had learned.

She supposed it was best to start at the beginning… Itachi's assassination of the Uchiha clan over a decade ago. Itachi had revealed very little about the massacre that she didn't already know, but had let one new piece of information slip: Sasuke hadn't survived despite the odds; Itachi had _spared_ his little brother. _Well, "slip" might not be the right choice of words_ , she mused. Sakura had always believed Shikamaru to be the most brilliant tactician that the Leaf Village had ever produced, but she was starting to get the feeling that Uchiha Itachi gave him a run for his money.

Sakura's thoughts turned to the relationship between the Uchiha brothers. Sasuke's side of it was, of course, quite straightforward: He despised Itachi and wanted him dead above all else. She had always assumed that Itachi would feel the same way, but that theory no longer seemed to hold water. If Itachi truly hated his brother, why had he let Sasuke survive? Moreover, why was Itachi going through the trouble of _saving_ him from Orochimaru now? Perhaps, he had some nefarious purpose of which she remained unaware-she wouldn't put it past Itachi-but she was beginning to suspect that the man actually, well, _cared_ for his little brother. Then again... he had still turned his Tsukuyomi on Sasuke at least twice.

She continued reviewing the story that Itachi had told, fists clenching in anger as she thought of Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. Sakura had been surprised by the bitterness with which Itachi had spoken of the group. His deadened, detached voice had reminded her greatly of the tone that Sasuke had used the few times he'd mentioned Itachi. _Did Itachi hate them?_

A troubling thought dawned on her as she recalled something else that Itachi had said. If the Akatsuki truly viewed one another, and, by extension, Orochimaru, as rivals, could Itachi be planning to use Sasuke as a way of gaining the upper hand over his fellow rogue nin? With almost five years of training under Orochimaru's tutelage and a mature Sharingan of his own, Sasuke had transformed as much as she had under Tsunade, if not more. She shuddered at the memory of their most recent run-in, her emotions a jumble of lust, fear, and outrage. The idea of Sasuke on the level of his brother admittedly excited her ( _in places that it wasn't appropriate to think about just then_ ), while the way in which Itachi had spoke so candidly of using him, of using _her_ , towards his own purpose was distinctly horrifying.

Sakura lay her head back on the pillows. Her head _hurt_. The kunoichi prided herself on her intellect, but the web that the Uchiha was weaving was simply too difficult for her to penetrate further at this time. Every turn raised additional questions, additional layers of intrigue. There was nothing else for it: If she was going to truly unravel this complicated man's plan, she'd need to continue playing the role of prisoner for now, at least until she could get further into his head. A pleasant chill went up her spine, and Sakura was disconcerted to realize that the her body seemed to _like_ the idea of getting closer to Itachi. She was pretty subdued these days, but her Inner had always had a mind of her own...

* * *

It had now been two days since their first _real_ conversation, and the girl was continuing to keep her distance. Itachi was a patient man, but time was of the essence. According to his spy, Orochimaru would be making his move to take Sasuke's body in a matter of months. It was vital that he have Sakura on his side well before that happened, and there was much more she needed to understand. Moreover, Itachi was certain that the girl would have questions. He had given her space, but it was time to proceed with the next phase of the plan. _Not to mention that he missed the human companionship. Even if said companion hated his guts._

Itachi entered the girl's room quietly, carefully shutting the door behind him. The lights were off, but then again, it was… _the middle of the night_. The Uchiha cursed to himself. As a rogue nin, the distinction between day and night had long ago become something to which he paid little notice. Of course, Sakura, accustomed to an orderly life in Konoha, would be asleep.

His Sharingan eyes were drawn to the bed, roving appreciatively over the sleeping girl's form. The two days of solitude seemed to have heightened his attraction to her. He felt a stirring below his navel as he remembered the warmth of her lips against his several nights ago, the way her green eyes had sparkled as she'd gazed into his own. Of course, it had all been meant for his brother ( _did he have any idea what he'd left behind in Konoha?)_ , but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the memory all the same.

"Sakura…" he breathed into the darkness. "Sakura, I want to talk to you." _In truth, he wanted to do_ more _than talk..._

The sheets rustled, and his eyes flickered hungrily as he watched her bare, slender arm emerge, stretching over her head. She'd healed the bruises, he observed, coolly appraising her pale skin. Her green eyes opened, gradually coming to focus on him in recognition, and Itachi felt his desire to move closer, to feel her warm body against his own, rise up.

"What do _you_ want?" She asked crossly. "Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Bare feet and legs emerged as she swung her legs out of bed and sat up, facing him, body still wrapped in the blankets. Itachi felt his mouth go dry as it occurred to him that some people preferred to sleep naked. He stood in the middle of her room, transfixed by the thought. The covers fell off of her chest and…

 _She was wearing those same pink pajamas_. Well, his erection was disappointed, but he supposed that it was really for the best. "I'm, well, sorry, for disturbing you," Itachi began a bit awkwardly. He'd never been good at apologizing to begin with and was sorely out of practice. _With this, and with pretty much every other "normal" human interaction..._

Pink eyebrows shot up in surprise and what he very much suspected was disbelief. "You're… _sorry_?" She repeated. There was an awkward pause, and Sakura let out a sigh. "It's fine. It wasn't like I've been able to get much sleep. But really, what do you want?"

Indeed, as his eyes perused her face, he noticed how drawn she looked, tired circles framing her green eyes beguilingly. Suppressing that train of thought, Itachi cleared his throat. "There's more we need to discuss, Sakura," he began softly. He expected her to cut in with some sort of acid comment, but she stayed quiet. _She was learning._ "Do you have any, ah, questions?" _That sounded pretty lame,_ he chided himself. But it was necessary. Before he continued onward, he really needed to know how far he'd gotten through to her.

Green eyes widened. "I suppose… yes." Her voice sounded small, tired, uncertain. Once again, Itachi found himself questioning his choice. Perhaps he should have thrown caution to the winds and taken the damn jinchuriki instead. But no, she could _heal_ , and that was important. _Besides, she made for an infinitely more intriguing companion than that pesky fox-boy._

He watched silently, waiting for her to continue as she shifted over towards her pillow. Then. "Do you want to… sit?"

Now, _that_ was unexpected.

* * *

Uchiha Itachi was by far the most intimidating man that Sakura had ever met, and, in a life that had so far included run ins with Gaara of the Desert, Hatake Kakashi, Master Jiraiya, Sasori of the Red Sands, and Orochimaru himself, that was saying something. He possessed a unique ability to turn her into a ball of nervous fear, even when he wasn't even trying.

If she was reading the situation correctly, he seemed a bit less sure of himself tonight. It made him much more human. As he came to perch awkwardly on the bed next to her, she recalled their kiss, and she felt her cheeks flush. _Oh Kami. Hopefully, he didn't notice that!_ She'd been upset at the time, but, in retrospect, it had been, well, rather nice… _and he was handsome..._

She shifted uncomfortably, fighting to suppress the voice of her Inner, which had apparently picked _now_ of all times to simmer to the surface after almost a half decade of slumber. _Shut up; he's evil. Is he though? Yes, of course. Focus. Focus focus focus. Where had they been? Oh yes, any questions._ Eyeing him carefully out of her periphery, Sakura decided to go straight for the heart of the matter. Their mental dance in the kitchen had exhausted her, and she suspected she would manage this far better if she could somehow get him to be direct.

"You asked me the other day how I felt about Sasuke-kun. I think I'll try the same question. How do _you_ feel about him?"

 _He_ smirked _again!_ Her stomach flip-flopped with pleasure at the way the expression lit up his face. Then, slowly, laboriously, came the man's answer. "He's my little brother, Sakura. I care… deeply for him."

"Deeply… in a good way?"

He glared at her fiercely, and she realized that she was starting to read his expressions. Right now, the gaze said something along the lines of " _Could you have asked a more stupid question?" Ouch._

She wasn't going to let him get away with _that._ Emboldened, she went in for the kill. "Why did you _torture_ him, then? Excuse me if I'm wrong, but Tsukuyomi doesn't seem like the sort of thing you'd use on someone you _cared_ about."

His face shifted back to its impenetrable mask; back up came the wall. "Hn. Sakura, perhaps it hasn't occurred to you that the life of a missing nin is not an easy one? Since we've established that I care about my brother, why would I ever want him following my path? Better to have him hate me safe in Konoha, or even under the watchful eye of Orochimaru, than follow me to a life of pain and uncertainty amongst the Akatsuki. The Mangekyo is many things and, not least, an effective deterrent."

He seemed frustrated with her-it appeared that Uchiha Itachi was no fonder of discussing his feelings than Sasuke. "So, then, you're not trying to use him to further your own ambitions?"

"Hn… no." The reply was sullen, yet she could sense the truthful anger behind it.

Sakura was struck by the impression that she had actually pissed off her handsome, deadly companion. Her heart was pounding in her chest as the totality of what he was telling her came to light. She supposed that he once had been evil (what else could one call the assassin of his clan and a willing Akatsuki member?), but she felt a growing certainty that he wasn't anymore, that he was being as straight with her as he dared and that he really, truly wanted to save Sasuke. Despite every protestation, every barrier that her own mind had been putting up against him, Sakura had been growing to... _respect_ Itachi. She'd long been aware of the fact that the elder Uchiha was physically attractive, but over the past three days, he had shown himself to be noble, caring, and, well, for lack of a better word, _kind_... far more complex a man that life in Konoha had taught her to believe. And right now, she realized with a sudden burning, she wanted him, wanted to be with him in a way that she'd never really thought she'd want to be with anyone else except for, well, his brother. _I guess I probably should have taken Tsunade up on the free therapy she'd offered…_

As if in a trance, she placed her left hand atop his right one, where it was resting on his knee. She felt Itachi shiver at her touch, and her own body quivered appreciatively in recognition. Her breath hitched in her throat as she waited for his response. Ever so slowly, Itachi's left hand came to meet her left one, Akatsuki ring glinting beneath the moonlight streaming through her window. "Sakura," he breathed, that inky black voice of his turning her into a quivering puddle of confused emotions. "Do you know what you're doing?"

 _Did she?_

* * *

She was just eighteen. While she might be physically powerful and mentally sharp, that didn't make her any less innocent in matters of sex. Moreover, even if Itachi were to set aside the taboos around sleeping with a young kunoichi who he knew was really only interested in him because he looked a lot like his younger brother, there were more serious concerns to consider. If all went well, a few of the senior Leaf personnel would know of his final mission, but, for the vast majority of Konoha, his name, and anyone ever associated with it, would remain anathema.

 _And yet…_ Her hands were so warm against his own, so small and delicate. His body thrilled at the sensation of her touch, and he wanted, _needed,_ more.

Slowly, achingly, he moved his right hand upwards, climbing from her hand to her wrist, then her elbow _(a sensitive spot,_ he noted with pleasure, as she let out a little mew) and her upper arm. Continuing their movement upwards, his fingers found her collarbone, and she let out a larger gasp that reverberated through his own body, stoking the fire within him. Her skin was so smooth, so flawless under his rough hands. He traced his way along her jawline, his hand finally coming to rest at the back of her neck. He could hear her arousal in her throat, and it spurred him on, compelling him to meet her gaze. Long lashes flicked open, and then her luminant emerald eyes were upon him, penetrating his soul. "Oh Itachi," she breathed, "Please…"

Eyes narrowing in pleasure at the sound of his name on her lips, his hand wound its way into her silky hair. "Please what, Sakura?"

"Please… oh, _please_ , kiss me..."

 _There was no need to beg._ Her soft, eager lips met his own in a rush of needy desire. She moaned, and Itachi smirked at the rawness of her lust as her felt her hands run up his back and begin to tangle through his hair. He knew he was a damned man… but tonight, he was going to enjoy himself.

* * *

Sakura gasped at the feeling of Itachi's lips against her own, her senses quickly beginning to overwhelm her. Their kisses had started out fast and needy, but he was guiding her now, directing her to a slower, yet no less intense, pace. One of his hands had found its way to the small of her back, deftly tucking beneath her pale, pink pajama top, and she shivered appreciatively at the feeling of his weathered hand on her skin. His tongue traced along her lower lip, and Sakura moaned in surprise as he bit down lightly, the whisper of pain exciting her senses further.

"Sakura… lie back. I want to enjoy you _fully_ ," he breathed into the darkness, his voice intense and silky smooth as the night sky. She was vaguely aware that his weight on the bed had shifted, and then he was guiding her steadily downward, the barrage of kisses remaining unbroken until the back of her head met the softness of her pillow. His body was strong and authoritative, and the kunoichi shivered with a mix of appreciation and awe as she remembered the power of the man above her. Breathing in deeply, she filled her lungs with his scent. _Pines after the rain… a bonfire at night… it was intoxicating._

Itachi's lips parted from her own, and Sakura's eyes flitted open in protestation. He smirked as he met her gaze, dark eyes burning into hers. She watched, a prickle of fear rising up her spine, as those eyes suddenly shifted into a swirling red and black Sharingan, smirk deepening further in frank desire. He seemed to be amused by the unease that his tomoe had awakened. "Not to worry, little kunoichi," he breathed above her, pressing his hips downward into her own teasingly, "I don't plan on torturing you _too_ much… _at least tonight_."

Surprised by the sensation of his pelvis against her own and reacting to his words, Sakura's body bucked up instinctively, and Itachi let out a deep groan of his own as his erection pressed into her. His hands found their way to her pajama top, deftly beginning to undo the quartet of buttons blocking his view. As the fabric parted, his eyes drank in her exposed chest, and she felt a blush rise up in her cheeks despite herself, resisting the urge to cover up against his gaze. "Sakura?" He asked, voice smooth and even as ever as he stroked her sides tantalizingly with his fingertips. "I can stop…" She could feel his swirling eyes scrutinizing her, trying to read her thoughts.

She didn't doubt that he _could_ stop, this man was a better master of his own body than any other ninja she'd ever met, but she might just die of desire if he did. "No, don't. Oh please don't… stop..." she gasped. Wishing for his lips on hers once again, she dragged her hands through his dark hair, back arching up in response to the feeling of his hands on her torso.

He appeased her once as their lips met, and Sakura sought to to intensify the kiss by trailing her own tongue along his lips; however, Itachi seemed to have something else in mind. Latching onto her wrists, he stilled her hands, holding them firmly above her head, and then began to slowly work his way from her lips, down her chin and neck, towards her chest. As his mouth reached her right nipple, he took the bud into his mouth, tongue twirling clockwise. Sakura's hips bucked up once more of their own accord, and she felt the moist heat that had been gathering between her thighs pulse with desire.

* * *

Itachi savored the feeling of Sakura's perky nub under his tongue, his arousal growing with every moan that he drew out of her. Sex had always been little more than another necessary bodily function for him; more enjoyable, certainly, than eating or sleeping, but utterly devoid of meaning, let alone emotional connection. And yet… he experienced an unfamiliar satisfaction, a _pleasure_ as the kunoichi writhed beneath him. He felt a surging desire to be closer to her… to feel her nakedness against his own body. As the unbidden activation of his Sharingan attested, he was actually _feeling_ something.

Releasing his grip on her wrists, Itachi tossed his shirt to the floor, baring his torso. His gaze returned to Sakura's face, and he smirked as her emerald eyes began to drift over his newly exposed flesh in undisguised admiration, taking in his smooth abdominals, broad shoulders, and prominent hip bones. "Surely, Konoha still has a healthy population of strapping young men?" Itachi asked the girl teasingly. Her cheeks went scarlet in response, adding further fuel to his own desire.

Itachi watched in amusement as Sakura's eyes finished up their appraisal with his left bicep, and he noticed her eyebrows furrow in surprise at the sight of the faded Anbu tattoo etched there. "Itachi, that mark… Kaka-sens..." Sakura began, but he cut her off with a kiss. _They'd discuss it later._ After all the last thing he wanted was to bring the damn Copy Ninja into the bedroom.

His bare chest was pressed tightly to hers, and he thrilled at the soft, plush sensation of her breasts. Slowly, he trailed his hands down her torso, and Sakura shivered appreciatively at the sensation, hips bucking upward in arousal once more. His hands found the waistband of her shorts, and he began pushing lightly, easing them down her slender hips. He felt Sakura freeze below him, and his eyes flicked to her face in vague concern, meeting her emerald gaze once more. _Those eyes…_ As an Uchiha, Itachi was obviously well-acquainted with the power of vision, and yet he found her ocular magnetism astonishing. _Desire… fear… hesitance… curiosity…_ Oh, how he wanted her at that moment, but the choice was hers.

He relinquished his grip on her waistband, trailing his hands over her hips and savoring the soft coo that she released in response, his erection throbbing painfully as she bit down lightly on her lower lip. He waited for what felt an eternity, breath bated, as a battle raged within her. Then, she gave him a teasing smile, eyes hooded with lust _._ "Mm… Itachi… I thought I told you earlier not to stop…"

Spurred on by her words, he made rapid work of her shorts and panties, eyes barely having time to take in the tantalizing contrast between her pale skin and the black cotton. Her hips tilted upwards in assistance, and then they were gone, leaving her fully exposed save for a tangle of damp, pink curls. She was flushed; it was hard to say whether from arousal or embarrassment. Slowly, as a way of telling her _he_ could stop at any time, Itachi allowed his right hand to trail from where it had been resting on her hip toward her center, still not daring to breath.

Her body lay still, gaze focused intently on his hand, breath flowing in and out as light pants. Not meeting any resistance, Itachi slowly continued his way downwards, through her wiry pink curls, towards her opening, savoring the wet heat emanating from her. Gently, he allowed a curled finger to dip inside, and, in a sudden display of impatience, Sakura's hips bucked up in response, a needy groan on her lips.

* * *

It was like a dream… _or maybe some sort of erotic genjutsu, given the nature of her companion_. Sakura had initially tensed up in trepidation, expecting some sort of discomfort. How wrong she was. The sensation of his finger _right there, on that spot,_ was _delightful_ , even better than those few times late at night when she'd tried it herself. Shutting her eyes, she savored the sensations, hips slowly beginning to rock in response.

"Nice, isn't it?" Her body thrilled at the dark, velvety sound of his voice. She looked up, and their eyes locked, the fiery passion of his Sharingan behind his long, dark eyelashes almost consuming her with its intensity.

His fingers were picking up a bit of speed, and she felt her breath growing increasingly labored as the waves of pleasure washed over her. "It's _so_ nice, Itachi…" she breathed. _Almost too nice._ Her legs had begun to shake, her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was having trouble keeping her eyes focused on his. It was as if she had lost control of her body… _and it was the most wonderful thing in the world.._.

Itachi chuckled softly, gazing down on her form. He leaned in close, and Sakura breathed him in. Then, his lips met the left side of her neck, and she was done for. Her eyes rolled back as a cry of sheer pleasure escaped her lips, hips bucking in ecstasy against his hand. Deep within, she felt muscles she was only vaguely aware of clenching in a steady rhythm. _So this was an orgasm,_ she mused, gasping for breath, body radiating heat.

Itachi's hand slowed, eventually coming to a stop, and she sighed complacently as his fingers gently departed from her folds, making their way across her naked thigh. _So wet!_

"Well, now, Haruno Sakura, what was that all about?" His lips had made their way from the nape of her neck to her left ear, and she shivered with pleasure at the sensation. She could hear the amusement and desire in his voice, and she felt a sudden thirst to turn the tables and make this powerful man lose himself in her.

* * *

Itachi craved release, and yet he suspected from the starry eyes peering back at him dazedly that the girl was done for the night. It had been extremely tempting to deny her, to see how far she wanted to go, but the pleading look in her eyes willing him not to stop had gotten the better of him. Placing his hands to either side of Sakura's head, Itachi pressed himself upward, preparing to climb off of the bed and wish the exhausted kunoichi good night. Before he had a chance to move any further, however, he felt a small, hot pair of hands tentatively pushing at his waistband. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and his eyes returned to his companion's face. _What was she planning?_

"Mm… Itachi, it's just not fair, though." Her voice was airy and delicate, softened by her orgasm. "Here I am naked, and you still have your pants on…"

 _She was teasing_ _him!_ Itachi smirked. _Well, if she wanted to dance, he was happy to oblige. He just hoped she knew what she was in for._ He rolled on to his side, pulling Sakura with him so that they remained facing one another. "Hn, why don't we fix that, then?" Sliding his hands to his hips, he made quick work of his pants and boxer briefs, joining Sakura in her nakedness.

To his great amusement, her eyes had immediately dropped down to his crotch. _Surely, as a medic, she had seen it all before?_ Judging from her nonplussed expression, he suspected not; Tsunade had kept her apprentice even more sheltered than he realized. Itachi brought his right hand under her chin and lifted slightly, raising her gaze to meet his once more. He could see the concern in her wide eyes. "Everything all right?"

"Y-y-yes. It's just… well, I don't really know what to do with… um… _it_..."

Itachi couldn't help but full-on smile as her face turned pink in embarrassment. _Any man would,_ he thought somewhat defensively. He'd never considered himself much of a lecher, but he had to admit, he was enjoying Sakura's... _discovery process_ far more than he'd expected. "We'll take this slowly," he assured her softly. _Starting now, at least._ After all, it was hard to label the activities with which they'd just been engaged as progressing "slowly."

* * *

Her heart was racing in her chest as she came off of her high and took in the sight before her. As her eyes settled on his crotch, Sakura's stomach clenched strangely. That was certainly _something_. She was familiar with the ins and outs of the human body-it was part of the medic-nin job description, after all-but she'd never actually seen one _aroused_ like that in the flesh. It was pretty disconcerting… rather demanding and angry looking, although Itachi himself didn't seem too bothered, to her immense relief. From what Ino had told her, men could be, well, pushy dicks in these situations. Itachi's desire was crystal clear, yet she felt herself in control despite her lack of experience. His words, body language, and eyes all told her the same thing: He wasn't going to push her any further than she wanted to go tonight. _Add "thoughtful" to the rapidly growing list of positive adjectives to describe him..._

Slowly, Sakura allowed her hand to travel down the man's torso, tentatively coming to take him into her hand. It felt even odder than it looked: hard, yet slightly fleshy, and surprisingly hot to the touch. As she moved her hand tentatively along his length, Itachi let out a sudden breath, half sigh, half moan. She froze, not sure what to make of the reaction. "Does that feel-okay?" _Kami, she hoped she was doing this right._

"Hn, yes," he murmured, red eyes locked on her hand. "You can, ah, grip a little harder, if you like, though. It's not going to hurt me." She nodded and did as requested, picking up the pace a bit. Itachi seemed to like _that_ ; soon after, he released a strangled moan, and his hips began to move slightly in time with her ministrations, hands grasping onto the sheets of her bed.

With his attention fully fixated on her hand, Sakura took the opportunity to examine her companion more fully, assessing his body with the same observant eye she'd honed at the hospital. With his straight nose, slender jaw line, burning eyes, and dark hair, his face was everything she craved, and the rest of his body didn't exactly let her down. Fully naked, Itachi was mind-numbingly attractive: strong, sinewy arms and legs; broad shoulders; and a chest and torso that was all lean, masculine muscle. She was surprised by the relative absence of scars on his body. As a missing-nin, it seemed extremely unlikely that he'd receive regular care for his wounds, and she was certain that he'd seen more than his fair share of battles. _Uchiha Itachi was apparently just that untouchable..._

She was pulled out of her reverie by a louder groan. " _Kami!_ Sakura, I'm, ah… we're going to need a tissue. Soon..." Itachi managed to mutter, his voice strangled by lust. Wide eyed, she nodded and reached for the box on her bedside table, quickly plucking out a few with her right hand while continuing to grip him with her left. His hands found their way to join hers, covering her own and encouraging her to jerk faster and harder in a primal rhythm matched by his powerful hips. Glancing over to his face, Sakura let out a little sigh of pleasure, his lips were slightly fuller than usual and his ruby eyes narrowed in pleasure, while his brow furrowed in concentration. She felt his hands grip even tighter over her left one as his eyes shut fully, jerking roughly. Then, he let out a broken groan, and Sakura felt something hot spurt onto her hand. "Tissue…" he gasped weakly. _Shoot… she'd forgotten._

Gradually, the pace of Itachi's hands slowed and his grip eased, eventually falling off of her left hand and coming to rest on the mattress. Following suit, she pulled her hand away, noticing with curiosity the sticky droplets on her fingers. Shooting Itachi a quick look to confirm that his attention was elsewhere, she raised her index finger to her lip, darting out her tongue to taste him. It was surprisingly salty, yet not too bad, she decided before wiping off the rest of his release with a tissue.

"That delicious, hn?" Itachi chuckled, and Sakura felt her cheeks flush, grateful for the dimness of the moonlit room.


	6. The Pursuit

_[AN: And now for something a little different-time to check in to Konoha! As usual, rated M (this chapter for language, mature moments, and a mention of assault). Also, please note that I do not own Naruto. Thank you for the follows, favorites, and comments!]_

 **Chapter 6: The Pursuit**

For the first time in as long as anyone could remember, Hatake Kakashi was early for an appointment. As he strode through the door of the Hokage's office, he appeared to the pair of ANBU guards standing watch an utterly changed man. The casual demeanor that was his trademark was replaced by an angry laser focus, and his visible eye was steely grey, lacking his good-natured crinkle. Most shockingly, there was no sign whatsoever of his beloved _Icha Icha_. Instead, hands were clenched by his side, the chakra that he was usually so good at suppressing coursing out in waves of emotion. Of course, given the current situation, none of this was much of a surprise. It had now been well over twenty-four hours since the disappearance of Uchiha Itachi from Konoha was first discovered, and the entire village was in an uproar.

The Uchiha's escape had become common knowledge by the dawn of yesterday, when the changing of the ANBU guard had led to the discovery that the two platoons of four tasked with the first watch had somehow been incapacitated by the rogue nin's fearsome Tsukuyomi. In a rage, Tsunade had dispatched several more forces of ANBU to track down the man, but they had returned to the village that same afternoon empty handed. Not even her most prized ANBU scout had been able to pick up a trace, leaving the Hokage livid yet resigned to the fact that Uchiha Itachi had somehow slipped through their fingers once again.

It wasn't until this morning that she'd heard from Shizune about Sakura. According to the dark-haired woman, her apprentice had failed to show up at the hospital yesterday evening for her shift. While somewhat surprising given the seriousness with which the kunoichi took her job, Shizune had chalked up the absence to distractedness. After all, Sakura had a lot on her plate right now. If the mission to recover the Kazekage hadn't been enough, she'd come back from her follow-up assignment (the failed capture of Sasori's informant, which had turned into a rather nasty Team 7 reunion) drained beyond belief. _She could use a break_ , Shizune had told herself and had gone about covering for the girl without a second thought, allowing the doubt in her mind to ebb away until early the next morning, when she stopped by the kunoichi's apartment to see how she was faring. It was then that she found the obviously fake note and torn bedsheets, indicating that some sort of struggle had taken place.

Unsurprisingly, Tsunade had _not_ taken the news of her dear apprentice's disappearance well. After railing against Shizune for keeping her in the dark for a good twenty minutes, she had set to action, quickly calling together a team of a few of Sakura's peers headed up by that rather talented if odd Aburame boy to do an initial scan of the immediate area. Perhaps they were still close by. Maybe the pink-haired kunoichi had even managed to fend off her would-be captors. After all, she'd become a formidable force in her own right.

Tsunade had managed to calm herself somewhat with this line of thought as the hours ticked by and the search party spread out through the nearby forest. That was, until Shino had returned to her office just about an hour ago clutching a shredded piece of black and red patterned cloth that Kiba declared had Sakura's scent all over it. While scarcely more than an inch wide, the Hokage had recognized the material immediately. Never one to do things by half measures, the Uchiha had not only incapacitated eight of her best guards and fled without a trace but had apparently taken the girl, _her apprentice,_ with him. Why, she could only speculate, but the nasty feeling in her stomach wasn't going to go away until Sakura was safely back in the Leaf.

It was time to call in the heavy hitters. And so, despite her vague misgivings, she had summoned the Copy Ninja to her office for an assignment she knew would weigh heavily on his already much-strained heart.

* * *

Kakashi stood in front of the Hokage's desk, frustration coursing through his veins. He already knew what the assignment was, of course; it was no secret that the elder Uchiha had easily broken out of his heavily guarded cell mere hours after being confined there in the first place and fled the village two days ago. He had been irked not to have gotten the call to arms first, but, then again, he supposed that Tsunade had her reasons. You could never officially "retire" from ANBU ( _well, except by defecting)_ , but he admittedly hadn't been on active duty since he was appointed sensei to Team 7 over six years ago. Moreover, while he knew that the Hokage trusted him absolutely, he suspected that she was also well-appraised of his past _involvement_ with the Uchiha and may have thought twice about having him pursue the former ANBU teammate with whom he had been purported to have been particularly close. _The reports weren't entirely wrong, either,_ Kakashi mused darkly, suppressing a sudden memory of blazing red eyes inches from his own, framed by long, dark lashes.

"You wanted to see me, Tsunade-sama?" Best to keep things professional; it was his best shot of getting out of that office with his already fraying sanity somewhat intact.

"Hai, Kakashi." She launched into the assignment just as if it were any other, voice strident. "As I'm sure you're aware, Uchiha Itachi escaped two days ago. Not even Michi was able to trace him. I'm turning the mission over to you and the ninken." She glanced down at the roster of available chunin. "Team Kurenai will join you-they're tracking specialists and could use the work."

Kakashi nodded curtly, trying not to think about Kurenai and her current state. "I'll see what I can do," he said shortly, beginning to sign for his departure.

"Wait! There's a second piece to this mission," the Hokage added, hazel eyes flashing. Kakashi dropped his arms to his sides in curiosity. "Itachi is not alone; it appears that he took _Sakura_ with him."

Kakashi swore loudly, the rage he was fighting to suppress bubbling momentarily to the top of his psyche. "What could _he_ possibly want with _Sakura-chan?_ " His mind drifted back to the last time he'd seen his former student, two nights ago, remembering her womanly shape in the doorway. _Kami… not that!_ But he knew the Uchiha's proclivities well, possibly better than anyone else alive today. Itachi had never shown any interest in women...

Tsunade seemed to be reading his thoughts. Did his mask really provide such little mystery? Or... _had she finally perfected that mind-reading jutsu Jiraiya had always been teasing her about? If so, Konoha was never going to be the same!_

"You knew him a long time ago, Kakashi," she began delicately, "I don't think I need to remind you that Uchiha Itachi isn't the same man you used to team up with." Kakashi shifted his weight in vague embarrassment; someone had perused his classified ANBU file quite carefully! Thankfully, the Hokage didn't seem to notice his discomfort. "Shikamaru thinks that this might have something to do with Naruto, and I agree. If the boy gets wind that Sakura has fallen into the Akatsuki's clutches, he'll be off like a shot."

Kakashi nodded. "Good thing Jiraiya thought to distract him. Is that all?"

"One more thing." She pursued her lips, eyes deadly serious. "Kakashi, I hate to bring this up at all, and with you especially, but... how much do you know about the Uchiha massacre?"

Kakashi frowned behind his mask, fighting to suppress the anger that was threatening to spill over. _She was really pushing all of his buttons tonight._ "I know _the truth_. Do you?" Cowed, the woman nodded almost imperceptibly, eyebrows raised in evident surprise. _Well, that made two of them._ "Anything else?"

"No, dismissed." He began signing once again, glad to finally be on his way out of there. "Kakashi-" _Now what?_ "Please, take good care of Sakura." He noted the pang of desperation in her usually commanding tone.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

* * *

They set off early the next morning, once the Hyuga girl, Shino, and Kiba had been briefed. Spirits were low; Kakashi knew that their friend's kidnapping and Asuma's death weighed heavily on the young trio's minds, while he himself was further preoccupied by his own emotional baggage.

Last night's conversation with Tsunade had stirred up some of the skeletons in his mental closet, and Kakashi was finding it extremely difficult to put them to rest. It felt as if every blink brought him face-to-face with another suppressed memory… _The briefing for his very first four-man ANBU assignment with the Uchiha (Kakashi had forgotten how young Itachi had been; little more than a boy)... Their first two-man mission in Sound just a year later, when Kakashi realized for the first time the depth of his feelings... Comforting the boy after his first seduction mission (they had both cried through the night; Itachi, for the too-soon end to yet another facet of his innocence; Kakashi, at the injustice of a system that encouraged such abuse)... Itachi's promotion to ANBU captain soon after; how proud Kakashi had felt!... And finally, that night just days before the massacre when Itachi had come to him and confessed his feelings, offering up his body and soul in what still stood as the greatest moment of unfulfilled temptation in his life…_

A feminine little voice interrupted his painful trip down memory lane. "Uh… Kakashi-sensei? Should we get started?"

"Ah. Yes, of course, Hinata-chan." Grateful for the distraction, Kakashi summoned the ninken. He could feel his body begin to relax a bit as the familiar scent of dog filled the air.

"Kakashi, you look terrible." Pakkun was apparently feeling surly this morning.

He shrugged, not wanting to arouse the suspicion of Kurenai's team, although they seemed pretty out of it. "Ah, Shino, do you have that fabric….?"

Reaching deep into his coat, the boy wordlessly pulled out a small vial, uncorked it, and proffered it to Pakkun, the rest of the pack, and Akamaru. "The Pinky, eh?" Pakkun asked, a look of vague concern on his face _._ _He'd always been soft on Sakura._ "Not to worry, we'll find her." He sniffed the cloth a second time, and his eyes widened. "Wait a second... _Uchiha Itachi_? Kakashi, you rogue, what _have_ you been up to?"

Kakashi gave the pug a stern look, hoping to remind him that others were present. After all, while Hinata was usually pretty out to lunch and Shino never seemed to react to _anything_ , that nosy Inuzuka boy was very possibly the biggest gossip amongst the chunin, rivaling even that chatty Yamanaka girl. He'd perked up when the nin pack had appeared, and his nose was almost literally twitching with curiosity at this point as he eyed Kakashi beadily.

Scratching the back of his head in frustration that he hoped to disguise as indifference, Kakashi launched into team leader mode. "Uchiha Itachi kidnapped Haruno Sakura two nights ago. The ANBU have been unable to track them down. Tsunade-sama has turned the mission over to us." Usually, he'd pause here and ask for questions, but given Pakkun's current desire to reveal all of his deep, dark secrets, Kakashi thought better of it. "Let's get a move on."

* * *

The day passed slowly as the party combed through the forest, making their way to the border. Itachi's cloaking genjutsu proved to be as tough to penetrate as Kakashi remembered, but thanks to the combined forces of Akamaru and the ninken, Hinata's Byakugan, and Shino's parasitic insects, they slowly made headway. It seemed that they'd set out north, towards either Stone or Sound, and the latter was quite unlikely given Orochimaru's presence there. While the details were sketchy, Kakashi knew well that the rogue Sannin was no friend of the Akatsuki these days.

As they traveled, Kakashi was relieved that his mind had decided to stop flagellating itself and had shifted the brunt of its attention from Itachi to Sakura. _Dear, dear Sakura-chan..._ Kakashi always told himself not to play favorites, but he couldn't deny that there was some truth to the teasing statements (usually, designed to piss off Naruto) that she _was_ his favorite student. She'd been the heart of Team 7, making up for her rather unfortunate lack of skill early on with a sunny disposition and a caring nature that had, at times, warmed even Sasuke's hardened little heart. Kakashi regretted that he hadn't done more to help cultivate her abilities in her genin days… _although, really, what was a man supposed to do when the other two members of his team consisted of a hyperactive jinchuuriki with a chip on his shoulder and a moody Uchiha driven by bloodlust, both of whose favorite past time happened to be trying to kill one another?_ Over the past five years, he'd been delighted to see how the girl had progressed in Tsunade's competent hands. He'd benefited from her skills as a medic more times than he cared to remember, and she'd proven herself quite the clever minx with the bell test redux. Moreover, while he unfortunately hadn't been there to witness most of it thanks to the antics of their aforementioned blonde teammate, the way that she'd taken down Sasori of the Red Sands was the stuff that ANBU legends were made of. He smiled to himself behind his mask, a proud warmth burning in his chest.

 _She's also grown rather alluring too_ , a different part of his brain observed suggestively. He remembered the girl as he'd last seen her, fern-green eyes and full, pouty lips gazing up at him from her doorway, and the warmth in his stomach grew. That was _Icha Icha_ talking. The books were his drug of choice, but the side effects could be somewhat unsettling, and, lately, they'd started to set their sights on Sakura, to disturbing effect. While Kakashi had always thought the girl cute, she'd been exactly that… _a girl_ ; someone to dote on, to good-naturedly tease when she got too uppity or down. The idea that there was anything _sexual_ about Sakura-chan was, well, disgusting, on his brain's part. _But also kind of hot…_

Kakashi shifted his shoulders uncomfortably as he thought about the current mission. Shikamaru's theory about drawing out Naruto was certainly plausible, although it did beg the question of why Itachi hadn't just made off with him instead of Sakura. There was more to the story, and Kakashi feared that it might very well have to do with the girl's well-known infatuation with Sasuke. While he seriously doubted that Itachi would actually be interested in pursuing Sakura, the elder Uchiha was, unfortunately, well-acquainted with seduction missions, and Kakashi could see him attempting to use the kunoichi as a more subtle way of infiltrating Konoha and getting close to Naruto. Sakura was tough, but he could almost guarantee that she was extremely inexperienced when it came to men, and Uchiha Itachi was a very fine, albeit dangerous, specimen.

* * *

They camped for the night at northern edge of the Land of Fire and set out next morning across the border into the Land of Stone. "We must be closing in on them," Pakkun commented after several hours of wandering in circles around the hilly landscape.

"How do you figure?" Kiba scoffed at the pug. "Akamaru says that the trail's gone totally cold."

Kakashi rustled the Inuzuka's hair, earning himself a burning scowl strongly reminiscent of Naruto. "Ah, yes, that's how you know you're getting close to a genjutsu user," he observed, visible eye crinkling in a smile. "As soon as he senses you getting warmer, he disappears." _Funny he doesn't know that, given Kurenai's background… although, I suppose that's one way to keep your students from finding you when you don't want them to._ Not that Kakashi really needed any help in _that_ department...

"Then how do we _ever_ find them?" _What a whiny little pup he is; he could give Naruto a run for his money._

"We change tactics. There's a village not too far from here. If they've been in the area for several days, someone may have noticed something." _Den of thieves, really, but no need to raise the alarm any further._ "Pakkun, lead the way."

They set off towards a dirt road, Kiba, Akamaru, and Hinata close on the pug's heels, with Shino following a little ways behind. Kakashi hung back, hoping to have a quiet word with the Aburame. "Shino, can I trust you to keep a close eye on Hinata?" Kakashi asked softly.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei. Kiba and I usually do. Any reason?"

"This village… it's not exactly filled with the _most_ savory sorts," Kakashi admitted. "No shinobi, as far as I know, but stay close to her; the Hyuga will have our heads if anything, ah, _untoward_ happens." The dark-haired boy inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment, eyes imperceptible behind his dark glasses.

As they approached the outskirts, Kakashi called for Pakkun to halt. "I'll scope things out in town myself," he told the rest of the squad. "It shouldn't take too long. Keep to the perimeter and see if you can pick up on any further clues." Shino looked unsurprised and Hinata a bit relieved, while Pakkun looked peeved and Kiba downright rebellious. "Try and keep a low profile," he added, mostly for the Inuzuka's benefit.

The town was even dingier than Kakashi remembered, consisting of little more than a single strip of low-slung stone and wood buildings: a brothel, a bar, a gambling parlor, a couple of pawnshops, and a cluster of humble houses. The street was quiet, so Kakashi decided to try the bar first. It was only midday, but he suspected that the watering hole did a roaring business at most hours.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the grubby saloon, Kakashi concluded that his decision to ditch the Leaf headband, shinobi attire, and navy mask in favor of the dusty grey traveler's outfit he kept on hand for reconnaissance missions had been well founded. Disguises hadn't ever been his strong point-the shock of silver hair, scarred face, and Sharingan eye made him pretty conspicuous no matter what he wore, and he hated the bother of henges-but there was no need to advertise his allegiance or shinobi background quite so overtly. He was already attracting enough notice as it was; when he'd entered, the low buzz of conversation had silenced, and he'd felt all of the eyes in the half-full room on him.

Nodding slightly to the other patrons, Kakashi slowly sidled up to the bar, searching for a likely target to interrogate. As the conversation in the room picked back up, he casually seated himself on one of the stools and ordered a beer from the tight-lipped bartender. There was only one other figure at the counter: a middle-aged man with a heavily bandaged face whose raw, red hand clutched a little glass of some dark brown beverage. He could smell the alcohol coming off of him in waves. _Probably self-medicating; those burns looked pretty fresh and quite painful_. "What happened to you?" Kakashi asked, tone low and disinterested.

"Fucking bar fight with some motherfucking shinobi bastard," the man slurred, watery blue eyes sparkling maliciously.

 _Well now, it might just be my lucky day_. "What happened to the other guy?" The Copy Ninja asked lazily, slowly taking a sip of his beverage and gagging slightly. _Flat_ and _warm… lovely._

His companion shrugged dismissively and downed the rest of his glass. "Me and my boys scared him off." _A likely story._ "Haven't seen him in town since. Or the little pink-haired slut he had with him. A pity; she was a hot little piece of action." He chuckled lewdly.

 _Bingo._ Kakashi felt a muscle in his jaw tighten in anger at the intimacy the comment suggested. "Sounds… intriguing," he replied, raising his right eyebrow suggestively while internally attempting to suppress his desire to knock out the man for speaking so foully of his ex-student. "Any idea where they went?"

"Back that way," the man waved his left hand vaguely over his shoulder and then grimaced in obvious discomfort. "Not worth your time, if you ask me."

Kakashi took one more sip of the beer, frowned at the taste, and stood, satisfied with the new lead and not wanting to waste any more time. "I didn't." Tossing a few coins on the counter, he gave the man a salute and quickly made for the door. _Had Sakura tried to flee? It seemed likely._ After all, he couldn't imagine Itachi parading her through this town in broad daylight. They appeared to be close indeed.

* * *

Kakashi reunited with Kurenai's team about twenty minutes later, quickly briefing them on what he'd learned as they made their way up the steep hill that the man in the bar had pointed out. "Trail's ice cold," Pakkun informed the group, tail wagging optimistically.

"I hope Sakura-chan is okay!" The Byakugan user had perked up now that they were potentially closing in on the pair. Kakashi suspected that Team Kurenai's hopes were running a bit high; after all, there was a very good chance that Itachi was aware of their approach and had already fled.

"She will be," Kiba replied, fists clenched with emotion. "She has to be." _Did Naruto have competition for Sakura's affections?_ While he'd never admit it, Kakashi had a bit of a nose for gossip himself, particularly when it involved his ex-students' affairs...

"Kakashi-sensei, what of the Uchiha?" Shino asked quietly.

"As you heard from Tsunade-sama this morning, this is a scouting mission," Kakashi replied seriously, eye drifting to rest on the two male Chunins. He didn't know Shino particularly well, but from what he'd seen of Kiba, at least one of them could use the reminder. "Our goal right now is to recover Sakura-chan, _not_ to engage with Itachi."

"B-b-but, if he puts up a fight…?" Hinata asked nervously.

Kakashi sighed. He hoped it didn't come to that; his experience with Kurenai's team was extremely limited, and fights with Itachi were always uncomfortable. "Not including Akamaru and the ninken, it will be four versus one-"

"Five, with Sakura-chan," Kiba interrupted hotly.

"Five, _if_ Sakura-chan is in a state to fight," Kakashi continued evenly. "With four or five of us, we should be able to distract the Uchiha long enough to get Sakura out of there. When fighting an Uchiha, the key is eye contact: If you keep your gaze averted, you take away some of his biggest weapons."

Suddenly, Hinata let out a gasp. "Kakashi-sensei, there's a house up ahead!"

The group paused. Kakashi could see the anticipation on Hinata's and Kiba's faces and hoped they weren't about to be disappointed. "Do you see any traps, Hinata?"

There was silence as the girl scanned the clearing. "No."

"Do you see anyone?" Kiba asked.

Silence. And then, "N-n-no. I'm sorry, Kiba-kun!"

Kakashi was disappointed himself but not surprised. Itachi had to know he'd be pursued, and he'd had a good three days to get ahead of them. "Not to worry, Hinata-chan; perhaps there will be more clues up ahead." _If only he could believe that himself..._

* * *

The cottage was a small, two-story building, tucked into the side of the hill. They approached cautiously, but Hinata's Byakugan wasn't wrong; inexplicably, the Uchiha had set up no obstructions. _Is he that confident?_ Kakashi wondered. The man was a prodigy, after all, and the lack of, well, _anything_ seemed extremely out of character. _Unless he knew there was no way he'd get caught..._

They spread out through the area, with Shino and Hinata combing the grounds and Pakkun, Kakashi, Kiba, and Akamaru investigating the interior. Kiba and Akamaru took the upstairs, while Kakashi and Pakkun made their way through the downstairs den. "Smells like they were still here this morning," Pakkun observed as he and Kakashi entered the galley-styled kitchen. "Eggs for breakfast."

"Anything more… useful?" Kakashi asked, a slight clip of annoyance in his voice.

"Working on it, senpai." Pakkun sniffed his way through the kitchen and back out into the den, Kakashi close at his heels.

A panicked voice suddenly called out from upstairs. "K-K-Kakashi-sensei! Could you, uh, come here?" _Kiba_. _Had the Hyuga girl missed something during her initial inspection?_ Kakashi vaulted upstairs, taking the steps three at a time, and found himself on a small landing with three doors. From the hall, Kakashi could see Kiba standing in the center of the room furthest to the left. He didn't seem to be hurt, but his body was tense, eyes wide with horror. _Some sort of genjutsu, perhaps?_ As a point of caution, he uncovered his left eye, exposing his Sharingan, and strode into the room.

The room was of medium size and sparsely furnished with a chair, side table, and double bed. He didn't sense anything out of the ordinary, other than the waves of panic radiating off of the Inuzuka and his canine companion. "Everything all right in here?" He asked, grey eyebrow cocked in confusion and vague annoyance. _What was Kiba playing at?_

His companion swallowed hard and shook his head in a slight "no." Whatever it was appeared to hold him utterly tongue tied, and Akamaru didn't seem to be faring much better. The white dog had curled up at his master's feet despondently. _For fuck's sake. They could at least tell him what they were so upset about._ Right hand coming to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, Kakashi glanced over at Pakkun, who stood curiously in the doorway. "Any idea what has these two so riled up?"

The pug crossed the threshold to stand next to Kakashi and sniffed the air, nostrils twitching delicately. Kakashi felt his brow contract in concern as Pakkun's face dropped, eyes wide in dismay. "Uh… yes, Kakashi, well, ah, you see…" _Wait a second, was Pakkun blushing? Could pugs even blush?_

"It smells like sex." Kiba had apparently recovered enough to address the Copy Ninja's question. His voice was dead as he stared in revulsion at the mussed sheets.

"Ah." _Well, that certainly explained the sense of embarrassment on the part of the three trackers._ Kakashi couldn't say he was particularly surprised, but that didn't mean he was any less enraged. As his mind drifted back to his early days with Team 7 and Sakura's innocent twelve-year-old face, smiling up at him, he thought he was about to be sick. _How dare that entitled Uchiha bastard even think about screwing_ his _Sakura-chan!_ Kakashi could only hope that the man had been gentle, that it hadn't been forced. But, then again, the concept that his former student may have willingly had sex with a member of the Akatsuki wasn't much more reassuring. He shut his normal eye with revulsion at the thought of the two of them together, Sakura's pale, slender body writhing in wanton pleasure beneath Itachi's larger, muscular one... the small, delicate hands that had healed him so many times grasping lewdly onto Itachi's broad, manly shoulders as he thrust into her… their moans of pleasure filling the air most… _arousingly?_

 _That's it! No more_ Icha Icha! The series that had for years been his prime source of escape from the outside world was officially starting to warp his mind. _If he didn't show a bit more self-control, he'd end up_ jealous _of Itachi… and that definitely wasn't somewhere he wanted his feelings towards Sakura to go. Or, hold on a second, was he jealous of_ Sakura _? Damn it all!_

"What do we do now?" Kiba asked flatly into the heavy silence. Kakashi had never been more relieved to have his train of thought interrupted.

To be honest, Kakashi wasn't sure. They were gone, the trail was cold, and Sakura's situation looked pretty damn bleak. But he was the team leader; he didn't have the luxury of staying silent, and he sure as hell wasn't going to give up on his former student. "Well... we finish up our search of the upstairs and then regroup with Shino and Hinata. Maybe they'll have had better luck." Remembering Kiba's big mouth, he glanced warningly at the boy. "We do not need to discuss all of the details of this, ah, situation, with the rest of the team."

"Kakashi-sensei! I would never!" Kiba contested hotly, eyes finally managing to break away from the bed as he glowered at the taller man.

Kakashi held up his hands apologetically, realizing that his anger with the situation had unfairly colored the interaction. He might be a dreadful gossip, but Kiba was also Sakura's friend, and Kakashi knew he possessed a solid moral compass. "Sorry, sorry... that was unfair. Should we get a move on?" He'd be glad to get out of that room, and he suspected that the Inuzuka would heartily agree.

They split up in the hall without a word, Kiba and Akamaru taking the middle room and Kakashi and Pakkun the door on the far right. The Copy Ninja sighed heavily as he pushed open the door to find himself in a room almost identical to the other one, hoping to calm the aching heart pounding away in his chest. "Tough mission," came Pakkun's gravelly voice from below.

"Mm… the worst kind." It was making Kakashi feel all sorts of… _things_ , and he really didn't like _feeling_ if he could avoid it.

The second room turned out to be another bedroom, almost identical to the first. Pakkun sniffed around for a few minutes, but then shook his head sadly. "I've got nothing." _Well, it had been worth a try._

The pair made their way downstairs and back outside the cottage where Shino and Hinata were waiting and were joined a few minutes later by Kiba and Akamaru. From the quartet of dejected faces, it was clear that their hunt for a clue to Sakura's whereabouts had gone no better that Pakkun's. As much as he hated to leave Sakura out there with the Uchiha, Kakashi knew it was time to return to the Leaf: They'd lost the trail completely, and, moreover, Tsunade deserved an update… although he really wasn't looking forward to the debrief. Sakura was the daughter she'd never had, and she wasn't going to take the news of her apprentice's... _involvement_ with the missing-nin well.


	7. The Land of Water

_[AN: Thanks so much for the favorites, follows, and comments! A quick note about the posting schedule: I'm still very much in the process of writing this story (it's all plotted out, just not written yet), so new chapters are going to roll out pretty much as they're ready. I work full time, and this is obviously a hobby, so I can't promise that I'll keep to a set schedule. Thanks in advance for your understanding and for bearing with me! As for this chapter... it's admittedly a bit less action-packed than the previous two (which might be healthy, actually - I don't want to have anyone accusing me of causing them too much whiplash!). I still had fun with it, so hopefully you enjoy reading! Again, the story is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 7: The Land of Water**

Sakura had always adored the "traveling" stage of missions most: The feeling of the wind rushing by as she sprinted past her surroundings, the occasional banter with the rest of her team (a constant if Naruto was involved), and, most of all, the lulls in conversation when she had the luxury of retreating into her own mind, free of the distractions of hospital shifts, daily life in Konoha, and training. Today's journey felt quite different, of course - she was missionless, a captive, and her travel companion was the silent Itachi - and yet, she was still grateful for the opportunity to be alone with her thoughts. As the events of last night and this morning replayed themselves in her head, Sakura prayed that Itachi kept his eyes on the path ahead; her cheeks were already warm enough without the added stimulus of his gaze.

She'd fallen asleep soon after Itachi had climaxed, too exhausted by their activities to think any further. Waking up that morning had been… an experience. Sakura had been having a very nice dream - something involving gossip over sake with Ino - and was at first rather surprised to find Itachi's left hand draped casually over her hip, his very naked, very warm chest pressed tightly up against her bare back. Her first instinct had been to leap out of bed, but her sleepy brain had deterred her due to a combination of coziness and a fear of startling an exceedingly dangerous man out of a dead sleep. Instead, she'd lain quietly, beginning to process exactly what had transpired last night.

It had taken a few minutes to get over the initial shock that she'd been intimate with Uchiha _Itachi_. While he was undeniably attractive, she'd never envisioned ever getting so close to an S-class missing nin, let alone the older brother of her childhood crush. Of course, the entire situation had grown increasingly convoluted with the twin revelations that Itachi didn't seem to be particularly fond of Orochimaru or the Akatsuki and that she and the Uchiha might be on same side, at least when it came to Sasuke. It was _a lot_ to think about, and there were major implications for her personal life, not to mention her place in Konoha. She couldn't imagine even beginning to explain to Ino how exactly the Uchiha had ended up in her bed and felt vaguely nauseous at the possibility of her _Shishou_ , teammates, or, worst of all, Sasuke himself finding out the identity of her first sexual partner. Still more troubling, she feared that her standing in the village could be at risk. Could making it to third base with the enemy be considered high treason? She might be the Hokage's apprentice, but that didn't make her immune to criminal prosecution, and she knew well that the High Council would love nothing more that to go after someone near and dear to Tsunade.

 _And yet, pushing all of that aside for the time being…_ By the light of the early morning sun streaming into the room, her decision to trust the Uchiha's story had still seemed sound. Moreover, she couldn't deny that he'd been a surprisingly attentive partner. In fact, she'd realized, an unexpected warmth beginning to rise in her belly, she looked forward to the possibility of exploring _more_ with him...

It was at that moment that the Uchiha had decided to wake up, a fact that Sakura was suddenly made rather alluringly aware of by his warm fingers softly stretching along her hip. He let out a deep sigh, sending goosebumps up her spine at the sensation of his bare chest expanding against her back. "Good morning, Sakura," came his soft baritone, as steady and even as if he were casually commenting on the weather.

Sakura felt her cheeks burn as she remembered the vision that had been waiting for her when she'd finally dared to glance over her shoulder a minute or two later, muttering an awkward "hi" that died in her throat. The Uchiha had been lounging on his side, long lashes slowly blinking away the sleep from his jet-black eyes, slightly disheveled hair framing his handsome face, lips slightly upturned in an almost-smile. _Kami, he was handsome…_

Shifting her attention back to the present, Sakura studied the back of the man she was following, wishing not for the first time that she possessed some sort of mind possession or transfer jutsu. Despite everything that had happened last night, she found his emotions no easier to read. _Had she pleased him? Did he regret it? Was he thinking of her - of them - even now?_ More pressingly, there was still the matter of his plan. She knew now that he intended to take Sasuke back from Orochimaru, but the details of how he was going to go about accomplishing this, why he even wanted to in the first place, and what all this had to do with her were still rather foggy, to say the least.

* * *

Itachi was pleased with the pace they were setting. Sakura's speed and endurance were far better than he expected from a medic, but, then again, she was a member of Hatake's team. _A good thing too._ Their unexpected interlude last night and subsequent morning lie-in had set the schedule back quite a bit. Given that they were now both expected elsewhere _and_ being pursued, it was imperative that they make up ground quickly.

He was confident that the team from the Leaf would be a nonissue. When he'd initially sensed Hatake's chakra signature - while miles off, he'd recognize it anywhere - he'd quickly deployed one of his summons to better assess the situation. His old teammate had always been a handful; if he was paired up with Konoha jonin of similar ability, the situation was liable to get sticky. The report he'd received back after breakfast had put him at ease, however. It was clear from the presence of a Hyuuga, an Inuzuka, and an Aburame that this was a scouting squad, not a search-and-rescue platoon. They'd only pursue for as long as the evidence allowed, and Itachi trusted in his genjutsu. The Leaf nin might find the cabin if they were good, but there was no way they'd discover their current, freshly disguised trail, ninken and Byakugan be damned. As for his date with the Akatsuki, well, it might take those bastards slightly longer and Itachi wasn't exactly going to win any brownie points from Pein for it, but they'd manage to seal the Three Tails without him. Besides, a few quick words about his capture of Sakura to Kisame would put him back into their good graces.

Glancing over his shoulder, Itachi permitted himself a moment to study the kunoichi, suppressing the warmth that welled up inside him at the memory of last night. While enjoyable and deeply satisfying in ways he hadn't predicted, Itachi knew well that allowing himself to get so close to the girl had been a massive tactical error. He needed her to be steadfast and strong; his shot at some scrap of redemption and his brother's life, not to mention his happiness, all depended on it. Cluttering her soul with physical or emotional attachments toward himself could end up throwing the whole mission: Sakura cared for Sasuke above all others, and he needed to keep things that way. He'd been weak to give into temptation last night... but he wouldn't let it happen again. _No matter how lovely she was_.

* * *

By the late afternoon, the pungent scent of salt on the air finally clued Sakura in as to their destination: They were entering the Land of Water. The terrain had been growing flatter and marshier for some time, and she could hear the faint cry of seagulls in the distance; the coast must be near. Itachi signaled for her to stop as they reached a copse of trees. "How's your henge?" He asked, eyes lingering on her pink locks.

 _Really, he was asking her if she could pull off a henge? She might not be a jonin yet, but did he really consider her such a novice?_ Sakura performed the dog, boar, ram sequence she'd learned early on in her Academy days, morphing into her favorite "alter ego," a curvy brunette with violet eyes; full, cherry-pink lips; curly, waist-length hair; a round, dimpled face; and a chest that rivaled Ino's. Itachi's eyes flashed - W _as that amusement?_ \- as he took in her transformed appearance. "You know," he commented slowly, eyes lingering pointedly on her suddenly generous bust line, "The whole purpose of a henge is to make yourself _more_ inconspicuous."

She frowned, wishing her own natural lips could pout as cutely as her transformation's. _I suppose he has a point._ Dialing it back, she cut down on the curves until her body was more or less back to its natural, lean state and deflated her lips and bust. Apparently, she'd never be permitted to know the joy of having a truly impressive rack, even in the realm of disguises.

Itachi nodded, seemingly satisfied with her modified appearance. "There's a fishing village near here. We'll be catching an overnight ferry to one of the islands."

"What about _you_? You're not going to bother with any sort of disguise? I'd think those Akatsuki robes of yours are pretty conspicuous, not to mention your eyes..."

"Hn. Waste of chakra. They already know me in this village. The captain is an old friend of Akatsuki. Now... shall we?"

Sakura followed Itachi out of the trees and down a narrow, dirt road, a bit miffed by the cool treatment she was receiving. Things had been different last night... _in fact, he was behaving almost like it hadn't happened._ The kunoichi knew far better than to expect loud declarations of eternal love or dozens of roses; he was an Uchiha after all, not to mention an S-class criminal. That being said, he could at least, well, _acknowledge_ it, acknowledge _her_ in some way.

They walked for another twenty or so minutes before reaching the village that the Uchiha had mentioned. _Itachi seems to have a thing for hovels,_ Sakura observed snarkily, her eyes taking in the small, tin-roofed fishing shacks that comprised the seaside town. Change the climate, adjust the construction style, and lose the boats and fishing nets, and it would be a dead ringer for the squalid little town in which she'd been assaulted just a few days ago. She shivered unpleasantly at the memory.

Near the center of town, they stopped in front of a slightly larger building, a two-story house painted a faded bluish grey. Itachi knocked twice on the front door, which soon opened to reveal a tall, grey-skinned man with midnight-blue, shoulder-length hair and tribal-like markings under his eyes, the hitai-ate on his forehead declaring him a Mist shinobi. "Uchiha-san, you're late. My cousin's been waiting for you almost a week. He isn't happy…"

"Hn," Itachi cut off the man with obvious disinterest. "I was busy."

Sakura felt the stranger's beady white eyes drift over to her. They widened slightly as they took her in, and she was disgusted to find herself on the receiving end of a hungry, shark-toothed smile moments later. Turning his attention back to the Uchiha, the stranger raised his left eyebrow suggestively. "I can see _that_. Don't you want to introduce me to your _friend_ , Uchiha-san?"

"Ah. This is Izumi," Itachi said carelessly. Sakura nodded her head at the man in a vague greeting, fighting to keep the repulsion coursing through her veins off of her face.

"Mm… _Iz-u-mi_. Welcome to our humble village." She shuddered internally at the way he rolled her fake name off his tongue, as if it was a toothsome morsel for him to consume. "Hoshigaki Hirotami, at your service." He directed his attention back to Itachi. "Now, Uchiha-san, what can I do for you and your, ah, _girlfriend_?"

* * *

Despite his vow not to let himself get any closer to her, Itachi found himself loathing the way that Hirotami was looking at Sakura… or, Izumi, as he had christened her. _Why did he have to pick Izumi?_ It was the first female name that had come to him, and he regretted the choice immediately. Well, he'd been living with the memories of that night for over a decade now... turning the screw a little tighter wasn't going to kill him.

Shunting those thoughts aside, Itachi turned his attention back to the ferryman. "Mind if we step inside? The walls have ears." The village was so small and insignificant... he highly doubted that any Leaf shinobi would be lurking, but Itachi never liked to take any chances if he could help it.

Hirotami nodded, and they followed him inside the dwelling. While relatively clean for a bachelor pad, the small kitchen had that same slightly fishy odor that Itachi remembered from the last time he and Kisame had stopped by. Giving Sakura a quick glance, he was pleased to see her quietly yet thoroughly examining her surroundings. She might not have the sensory powers his Kekkei Genkai granted him, but she appeared to know well the importance of studying one's surroundings.

Itachi seated himself on one of the four wooden chairs at the rickety kitchen table, Sakura quickly moving to sit at his right. Hirotami seemed to make her nervous, which wasn't that surprising given his predatory nature. Resisting the sudden urge to give her hand a comforting squeeze (where had _that_ even come from?), Itachi turned to the shark-man, who remained standing in the kitchen, staring at him expectantly. "I was hoping you could provide us with safe passage to Toki."

"With pleasure. Kisame will be _delighted_ to see you." _He doubted that._

"Price?"

"The same as last time," Hirotami said with a shrug. His beady eyes narrowed hungrily, drifting over Sakura's form. "Unless you'd prefer to save your ryo and barter with something else…?"

 _Pervert!_ Itachi thought angrily as the girl's cheeks flushed scarlet. Shutting his eyes for a moment to cool himself down and leaning back in the chair, he faked a smirk, as if considering the man's offer. "Hn. Tempting, but I think I'll pass. Forty ryo it is."

"Where'd you find her anyway? I didn't peg you for the sort to settle down…"

The Uchiha was growing tired of the snarky bastard already. He might be Kisame's cousin, but that was just about all the man had going for him. From what Itachi's partner had said, Hoshigaki Hirotami had barely scraped together enough skill to pass through their local Academy. His pathetic prying didn't even deign another "Hn." Itachi gave the shark-man an unblinking stare, pleased to see his eyes drop rapidly to the floor in response. _Apparently, Kisame had said a thing or two about his Sharingan._

"Ferry leaves in a couple of hours. The winds the way they are, we'll dock on Toki by mid-morning tomorrow. Want to get settled on board now? One room or two?" _Not so cocky, anymore. That was more like it._

"A single cabin is fine." It _wasn't_ fine, really, but it had to be. Hirotami might be temporarily cowed, but Itachi wouldn't be letting Sakura out of his sight until they were safely tucked away in the Akatsuki's old hideout on Toki. He'd just have to remember to keep his own hands off of the kunoichi as well. With the henge up, he was pretty sure he'd be able to manage, but if she dropped it… well… after last night, he was deeply uncertain that he'd be able to resist those emerald-green eyes of hers, all the self-control in the world be damned.

* * *

After a quick dinner in town, Sakura and Itachi boarded a weathered wooden boat with cream-colored sails. On deck, they were greeted by Hirotami with a quasi-respectful salute. Sakura was relieved to see that the shark-man remained wary of Itachi; he kept his eyes averted from the rouge nin's for the entirety of their interaction and quickly led the pair below deck to their cabin, only giving Sakura a couple of half-hearted glances. While no stranger to the male gaze - Sakura had her fair share of flirtatious male patients back in Konoha, after all, including Naruto - she was unacquainted with the downright hungry way in which he'd previously eyed her, as if she was nothing more than a body to be had. It had been rather unsettling, to say the least, and had made Sakura more grateful than ever for her Shishou's watchful eye.

Sakura took in the tiny room in which she and Itachi now found themselves. The setting sun streaming in through the tiny porthole window revealed a double bed that dominated the space, leaving just enough room for an old, scratched-up dresser on the left side of the room. "This is our Captain's suite. Bathroom's to the right. Anything I can get you?"

"Hn." Itachi responded dismissively.

"Well then, I'll knock when we've reached Toki tomorrow morning. Have a… _nice night."_

As the door shut behind him, Sakura felt her stomach begin to flutter nervously. While she'd been alone with Itachi for almost the entire day, being confined together in this small space, free of the distractions of travel felt decidedly more intimate. She glanced over at the Uchiha, wondering whether he was entertaining similar thoughts, but his face remained impassive as always.

Well, she might as well make herself comfortable. A henge didn't require all that much chakra, but for one unaccustomed to maintaining it at all times, it was a bit of an annoyance. Dropping the disguise, Sakura flopped down onto the left side of the bed, eyeing Itachi pensively. "So… you were in ANBU once?" She asked, remembering the tattoo she'd spotted last night on his bicep. The silence was growing so awkwardly oppressive; she'd kill for a bit of conversation.

"Hn."

"What was it like?" Sakura had occasionally tried asking Kakashi this exact same question, but he'd never budged. Perhaps Itachi would be more forthcoming?

"We're sworn to secrecy."

"Oh, _come on_. You defected over a decade ago! It's not like you could _possibly_ feel any sort of loyalty towards _them_ at this point."

"Hn."

"My old sensei, Hatake Kakashi, was in ANBU for years, you know. Did you ever work with him?"

"Hn."

 _Was that a yes?_ "You did?"

"Hn."

 _For the love of Kami, he could be just as infuriatingly evasive as Sasuke._ She was getting nowhere, and Itachi didn't even seem to care. He just stood by the door, jet-black eyes impassive, that same, slightly bored expression locked on his handsome face. Throwing caution to the winds, Sakura decided to address the elephant in the room. "So, last night…"

"Tch. It was a mistake."

"A… mistake?" _Oh no._ Sakura felt her cheeks grow warm with a mix of rage and embarrassment. _What did he mean, a mistake?_ It had been sudden, of course, but, well, rather nice. Had she done something wrong? He'd requested a _single room_ for tonight. Surely, that had meant something?

"A mistake," he confirmed shortly, those dark eyes of his empty of the warmth she thought she'd seen last night. "It shouldn't have happened."

 _She'd given him a precious piece of herself, and_ this _was his response?_ Dropping her gaze, she wiped away the angry tears that were starting to build in her eyes and clambered off of the bed. "I think, I'm going to go shower now… unless you wanted to first?" She'd showered that morning, but was suddenly feeling extremely dirty… and not just due to the dust from the road.

"Hn. Doesn't matter."

 _Fine._ Wordlessly, Sakura made her way to the bathroom and shut the door, letting out a sob as she slid down to the cool, white tiles, arms wrapped around her knees. _Had it all been a lie?_ She thought she'd started to penetrate the Uchiha's mask, but now, well, they seemed to be back to square one. Although, this time, she… _cared. Kami, what had she done?_ At that moment, she'd give anything to be back to Konoha.


	8. The Genjutsu Master

_[AN: Thanks again for the folllows, comments, and favorites! As usual, rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 8: The Genjutsu Master**

They'd been on Toki for three long days now, and the Uchiha continued to keep his distance. While she wasn't in any mental state to enjoy it, the Akatsuki lodge at which they were staying was admittedly rather nice. Tucked on the side of a mountain, miles from the only town on the island, there were at least two bedrooms (hers featuring a queen-sized four-poster bed); a well-stocked kitchen; an elegant dining area with a long, wooden table; a cozy living room with a large, stone fireplace; and a study, where Itachi spent most of his days. As for Toki itself… the island was at the northern edge of the Land of Water and had a surprisingly chilly climate, with frequent bouts of snow. Accustomed to life in Fire Country, Sakura spent much of her time curled up by the hearth, staring into the crackling flames.

She was fairly certain that she was going crazy. Other than silent meals with her captor, Sakura was left to her own devices, and her mind had quickly begun to run wild. Foremost in her thoughts was Itachi himself. Her Inner had a field day, torturing her with lascivious suggestions of pouncing on him while he was asleep that left her blushing profusely. Usually, Sakura could rely on her rational mind to keep her Inner in check (after all, jumping an S-class missing nin was suicide to anyone with even half of a functioning brain), but it was struggling mightily as well. With no one to talk to, she was drowning in an ocean of anxiety: afraid of what Itachi was planning, that she'd horribly misjudged everything that had transpired since her capture and bought into a web of lies he'd spoonfed her; afraid that time was ticking for Sasuke, that he'd soon be consumed by Orochimaru; afraid for Naruto, that he'd foolishly pursue her and fall into an Akatsuki trap.

It had occurred to her early on in the second day of her vigil by the fire that she flee, but her fraying sanity quickly put a stop to the suggestion. She was on a remote island, it was literally freezing outside, and the village she'd need to reach in order to find someone with a boat was miles away. Moreover, there remained the Uchiha himself. Sakura was unable to sense any traps, but that didn't mean there weren't any. Even if by some miracle she made it out of the range of the lodge undetected, his tracking skills were undoubtedly top notch; he was ex-ANBU, and the snow would make her movements painfully obvious. No, there would be no escape.

* * *

For the third night in a row, they dined in silence. Itachi had managed to procure some fresh fish in the village, and he'd prepared it simply along with some rice from the lodge's stores. It had all come out rather well, but he found himself unable to enjoy it in the face of his dining companion.

Sakura had grown distant, increasingly withdrawing into herself. Initially, the Uchiha had welcomed the respite; the kunoichi's chatter was far more challenging to tune out than Kisame's, and every glance of those lively green eyes drew him to her, wickedly tempting him to finish what they'd started that last night in the Land of Stone. He knew he had to approach her soon - at best, Sasuke only had a few months left - but he found himself resisting. As he'd concluded over his three days meditation and training, the kunoichi was far more troublesome than he bargained for. He knew from the start that this mission wouldn't be easy, that he'd be required to trust in another human being more fully than he'd trusted anyone since Shisui and Kakashi, yet he hadn't expected to develop _feelings_ for her.

Glancing across the table, Itachi was mildly alarmed to see silent tears streaking down his companion's face. Could he ignore them? The wild look in her green eyes answered the question for him: _He couldn't; she'd go crazy if he did._ Clearing his throat, Itachi steeled himself for what promised to be a hell of an exchange and recited the familiar phrase his father had occasionally used on Sasuke as a small boy. "Shinobi Rule #25: A shinobi must never show tears."

Green eyes widened in shock, shifting quickly from sorrow to undisguised fury. _Well, that stopped the tears, at least._ His alarm grew when the girl let out a harsh laugh. Her emotions were vacillating wildly, reminding him forcefully just whose apprentice she was. His body tensed, preparing to dodge any chakra-enhanced punches and/or kicks that might shortly be coming his way. The verbal dam burst first, however, a torrent of vitriol rushing out all at once in his direction. "What do _you_ know about shinobi rules? Are you _seriously_ trying to convince me that _you're_ the perfect shinobi? You killed your _entire_ clan… I don't think that's in the shinobi rulebook, _Uchiha_!" She spat out his name as if it were a curse.

 _Well, at least she hadn't tried to physically attack him this time. Yet. Was this the moment he told her the full truth?_ No, she wasn't in her right mind, and his absence the past three days appeared to have sowed significant doubts. On the other hand, time was not on their side; if they wanted a prayer of reaching Sasuke before it was too late, it was imperative that they return to solid footing. "Sakura, things are not always as they appear," he breathed, trying to coax her ire down with his eyes.

"Then why? Why did you do it?"

"I will tell you soon. _I promise_. For tonight… rest assured that it was not an easy decision. I had my reasons."

"Some comfort," she muttered, although Itachi could see from her eyes that his vow had mollified her somewhat. "Can you tell me why I'm here, at least?"

 _Ah, bargaining for information again._ He had to admit, it was an effective tactic. "Hn. Well, as I've already told you, the goal of my mission is the safe return of my brother to Konoha. I am confident that I can handle Orochimaru myself; I have before."

"When he tried to take your body?"

"Ah. Handling my brother will be far more… _delicate_ of a task. I am well aware that Sasuke intends to kill me on sight. If I am to succeed, I will require, ah, some _assistance_."

The kunoichi's eyes widened in realization, pink lips falling open in evident dismay. "Wait… no… not me? You don't… you can't expect Sasuke-kun to listen… _to me?_ But, _Itachi_. I already tried! I tried to keep him in Konoha five years ago and failed!" The tears that he'd soothed away were gathering once again, turning her eyes into verdant pools as the hysteria of her emotions consumed her anew.

Itachi knew nothing of this particular interaction, but now wasn't the time to pry into ancient history. _Five years ago_ … whatever had transpired between the pair must have occurred right around the time of Sasuke's defection from the Leaf. He doubted that _anything_ could have prevented his little brother from seeking out Orochimaru then, although her earnestness was likely far more difficult of a hurdle for the boy to surmount than Sakura knew _._ Despite his vow to keep his distance, the Uchiha found himself wishing for a moment that _he_ could inspire such emotion in her. _His treacherous mind was beginning to wander into dangerous territory once again._..

Attempting to banish such desires and trying to ignore the equally distracting way that the kunoichi's lower lip was trembling ever so delicately, he fought to shift his attention back to the matter at hand. "Sakura, trust me," he murmured, "If you have me with you, Sasuke will agree to return to the village." _Of course, he was withholding certain logistics, at least for now, but that was really besides the point._

Sakura nodded slightly, tear-filled eyes still wide with shock. "So it will just be the two of us, then? Facing Sasuke _and_ Orochimaru?" Her tone had grown hesitant, as if she were questioning his judgment.

"Hn. I think I should manage. Does this make you uncomfortable?" _Did she doubt his abilities to take down the Snake Sannin?_ She'd seen him fight once before, of course, but that had been a feeble copy, produced by Pein's shapeshifting technique.

"Oh! _No_ , it's just… I don't understand how you expect _me_ to help. I'm a medic nin…"

"Tch. That's exactly why I wanted you in the first place, Sakura… to _heal_ Sasuke. After my... ah... after I manage to subdue him, he will likely require a substantial amount of your attention." _And not just for physical wounds._ Itachi was no stranger to mental scars or to Orochimaru's techniques and proclivities; his brother had a long road ahead of him. _Although, with this girl by his side…_ well, Itachi still found his brother's situation enviable. _At least it was rosier than his own future._

* * *

For three days, nothing. And now, _this_. With Itachi, it appeared that it was always either feast or famine.

As the rogue nin spoke, Sakura felt a new sense of unease rising in her stomach. While she trusted Itachi's judgment and awareness of his own abilities, she was growing increasingly suspicious that he was overestimating _her_. She was confident that she could heal whatever ailed Sasuke, as long as he remained alive and unpossessed, that was. After all, one of the reasons she'd become a medic in the first place was to better care for those she held dear, and she hadn't earned her appointment as the Hokage's apprentice for nothing. It was her fighting prowess that she feared might not be up to the task.

Sakura knew she was strong. _Hadn't Kaka-sensei complimented her just last week on how fully she pushed him in their latest taijutsu-only spar?_ And yet, there remained an uncomfortable doubt in her mind as to whether she'd be able to measure up. Sure, she'd defeated Sasori of the Red Sands, but that had been with a significant amount of help from Chiyo-sama. For much of the battle, she'd been a human puppet, providing a willing, able body for the Sand kunoichi's use. Even more damningly, Sakura had been unable to prevent the dear old woman's death. That failure didn't exactly speak well of her eligibility to serve as Itachi's partner against a man as powerful as Orochimaru. What if the same thing were to happen? _Kami, if Itachi were to die…_ Logically, Sakura knew that this was something she was supposed to _want_. While his story was far more complicated than she'd ever imagined, Uchiha Itachi remained an active enemy of her village. _And yet…_ it _hurt_ to think of a world without him...

Dropping her gaze from his, Sakura feigned sudden interest in the barely eaten fish on her plate, picking at the fillet with her chopsticks. Itachi had apparently said all he was going to, however, and the room fell back into an uncomfortable silence. That was, until a sudden thought startled Sakura out of her misery. "Itachi…" she began, eyes tentatively returning to his, "Would you be willing to… _train_ me?"

Across the table, dark eyes widened in vague surprise, and Sakura felt a rush of relief that her companion was no longer attempting to hide all of his emotions. _Or perhaps her question had just been that presumptuous._ "Train you?" He asked, as if the words were in some foreign tongue.

"Hai." Sakura felt her cheeks growing rosy, but she wasn't about to back down. This man was a prodigy, a genjutsu master, an ex-ANBU captain, a full-fledged Akatsuki member, _and_ an S-class missing nin. If he truly expected her to stand up against the corpse-like man who'd haunted her dreams since their fateful run-in during the Chunin exams (not to mention Sasuke-kun), he was damn well going to help ensure that she was as prepared as possible.

An increasingly broad smirk crept over the Uchiha's face, lighting up even his cold, ebony eyes. If she didn't know better, Sakura would have called it a _smile_. "I should be able to manage that. Is there anything in particular you were hoping to learn?"

"Genjutsu." After all, it was the type of jutsu that most fascinated her, and who better than an Uchiha to teach it?

* * *

The next morning, Sakura rose early, a familiar excitement churning through her stomach. It was the same feeling she got right before setting off on a mission: a desire to face the unknown head-on. Padding barefoot into the darkened kitchen, she realized that this was the first time that she'd gotten out of bed ahead of the Uchiha. Well, he'd been cooking her all of her meals for over a week now; it was only fair that she return the favor.

Grabbing some eggs out of the fridge and a loaf of bread from the pantry, she set about making scrambled eggs and toast. It wasn't anything fancy, but that was for the best. Haruno Sakura was many things, but not so much a gourmet chef. Frowning slightly as she stirred the eggs, she recalled Sai's stunningly rude reaction to the food pills she'd recently whipped up for Naruto. While she'd initially detested the dark-haired boy, he'd admittedly grown on her of late, even if he showed less than no appreciation for her cooking _and_ called her Ugly. _Had that really been just last week? It seemed forever ago…_

A sudden burning smell stirred the kunoichi out of her reverie. _Ach, the toast!_ She _always_ burned the toast. Well, maybe he wouldn't notice if she scraped off the blackest bits...

A quiet "Tch" from the kitchen doorway told her she had company. Green eyes met Itachi's black ones, which were currently sparkling with vague amusement at her plight with the toaster. He looked tired this morning, the shadows under his eyes slightly more pronounced. _Perhaps she wasn't the only one struggling to come to terms with the state of their relationship..._ But no, she was being silly. Uchiha Itachi was a man in firm control of himself. The idea that he was possibly experiencing any of the emotional angst that had plagued her these past few days was laughable.

"The eggs," he cautioned, a smirk playing over his slender lips.

 _The eggs… damn it all; she'd burned those too!_ "I've never been much of a cook," she admitted ruefully, scraping the curdled contents of her frying pan into the trash. "I'm sorry… I'd been hoping to do something nice. You know, since you agreed last night to teach me and all. Also, you've been cooking for me all week, and-" _Kami, she was rambling, just like she always did when she got nervous._ He must think her an utter idiot.

She was surprised to see a strange, slightly pained look flash over Itachi's face before returning to his usual neutral expression. "Sakura… _arigato._ "

 _What was this all about?_ "But, I burned the toast _and_ the eggs. Who even burns eggs?"

Itachi shrugged. "No one's tried to cook me breakfast since… ah, since I was thirteen."

* * *

After they ate (he'd taken over cooking following Sakura's surprisingly sweet if misguided attempt), Itachi led the kunoichi to the back of the lodge where he and Kisame had set up a small training ground. The weather was slightly warmer today, the bright sun shining down onto the snow-covered field turning the ground slick with ice.

He eyed the girl facing him coolly, unable to completely ignore the rather pleasing way in which her black leggings and slim-cut red tunic accentuated her slender figure. Her expression was expectant yet slightly tentative, reminding him despite his best efforts of the last time he'd _taught_ her something. _But he wasn't supposed to have_ those _thoughts._ He was here to train, not to ogle her body and wonder at what might have been. "Tell me what you know of genjutsu, Sakura."

"Not much, I'm afraid. My Shishou uses mostly ninjutsu and taijutsu. She didn't really go over genjutsu much with me; just how to break it."

"Hn. And Hatake?" While not quite up to Itachi's own standards, the Copy Ninja had been a perfectly proficient genjutsu user during their ANBU days.

"Kaka-sensei _used_ genjutsu on occasion, but, well, he didn't really have a lot of time to work just with me. You know, what with Naruto and Sasuke-kun around all the time."

Sakura said it as if it were a simple fact, and it rather irked him. It was becoming increasingly apparent that all the accolades she'd earned hadn't erased some intrinsic assumption of inferiority. _Tch, Hatake, it's taken over a decade, but, finally, you've failed to impress me._

"At least you know how to break a genjutsu then. That's something." _It was more than many shinobi could claim._ "Now then, why don't you show me what Tsunade taught you." He activated his Sharingan, and Sakura flinched slightly in response. _She still doesn't trust me._ "I won't use Tsukuyomi, if that's what you're thinking."

The kunoichi's shoulders relaxed, and Itachi took the opportunity to capture her mind with a subtle motion of his right index finger, pulling her into an illusion brought on by a flock of crows. As the birds circled around the now glassy-eyed girl, Itachi came to the sudden realization that this was going to be more difficult than he had anticipated. Most of his techniques weren't exactly _pleasant_ , and he didn't want to subject Sakura to anything that could cause her pain, even if it was all in her head. He could try to project something enjoyable, but that would be a disservice to her abilities, and she was far too proud to permit him to go easy on her. Steeling himself, Itachi allowed the flock of birds to morph into the familiar figure of Hatake Kakashi, Sharingan eye spinning lazily as he coldly appraised Sakura, his mask hiding a cruel, Uchiha-like smirk.

* * *

As the crows gave way to the tall, slender figure of her old sensei, Sakura's heart leapt into her throat. Of course, this was all Itachi's genjutsu, but the resemblance was so flawless that it took her breath away. Not only had the Uchiha perfectly captured his appearance - the unruly tuft of silvery hair, the mismatched eyes, the broad shoulders and strong shinobi body - but the mannerisms were spot on too: the trademark slouch, the way he crossed his powerful forearms just so, and, most of all, the manner in which his natural eye concurrently appeared both utterly disinterested in and hyper-aware of his surroundings. He was so utterly _Kakashi_ … and it was making her painfully homesick.

He approached her in silence, charcoal and blazing red eyes locked coldly on her face, and Sakura found herself reminded of the many times she'd seen her ex-sensei go up against an enemy. Except, now, the enemy was her. _She was doomed._

He stopped when his body inches was away from her own, glaring down into her pale, frightened face. _Mm… he even smells like Kakashi_ , Sakura realized breathing in that tantalizingly masculine mix of spearmint and evergreen. Then, he spoke, and all happy memories vanished from her mind. " _Fraternizing_ with the enemy? I thought I taught you better than this, _Sakura_."

 _He knew. He knew_ everything _! And he hated her for it!_ "No! _Please…_ I didn't… I can explain… if you'll just listen, Kaka-sensei… _please_ ," she gasped, eyes beginning to burn with quickly gathering tears.

"Huh, _sensei_." He spat the word back at her mockingly, Sharingan eye spinning faster in rage. "I always knew you were weak, but to let him delude you like this… I am _disgusted_. _You are no student of mine_."

 _No! Oh, Kami, no! What had she done? Why had she let Uchiha Itachi ruin her! Wait… Itachi… this was his genjutsu!_ Warm relief flooded through her body as she came to her senses. Trying to block out the ominous whine of the illusion Kakashi's Chidori (she _really_ didn't want to see whatever was about to happen next), Sakura brought her index fingers together, focused hard on cutting off the flow of her own chakra. "Kai!"

The illusion Copy Nin vanished, and Sakura dropped to her knees on the frozen ground, weak with relief, palms pressed so firmly together that they ached as she readjusted to her reality. The sound of Itachi's even voice drifted over her bowed head, appraising her performance. "Hn. You have excellent chakra control, as to be expected of a medic nin. Of course, you should have dispelled my genjutsu more quickly, but not bad for a first attempt."

Sakura nodded mutely, vaguely aware that he was mostly praising her. She felt _terrible_. Managing to raise her eyes to her companion's, she angrily took in his calm expression. _How could he care so little?_ "Itachi…" she whispered, appalled at the smallness of her voice, "When you cast a genjutsu… do you control what the subject sees?"

"It depends. With something like Tsukuyomi, I have full control. With other techniques, it varies."

"What about what you just did… to me?"

"Hn. I always have _some_ control, Sakura." _In genjutsu and in life_. "In the case of what you just saw, I _chose_ to show you Hatake-"

"Why?"

Itachi's dark eyes flashed strangely. When he spoke again, the tone of his voice was softer than ever. "Because I knew him well, once... and know that you do too. It's much less taxing to cast a convincing illusion when both you and your target are well versed in the subject. I prefer not to waste my chakra, when possible."

Intrigued by both this nugget regarding Itachi's old life in Konoha and his elaboration on genjutsu's different types, Sakura made a mental note to ask him more about her sensei later. "Do you know what I saw? What I heard?"

"Sort of. With this particular genjutsu, the target's mind builds on certain suggestions that the caster implants. So, in this case, I _presented_ you with a vengeful Hatake, and then your brain did the rest, constructing a plausible backstory and further developing on the initial vision. I caught glimpses, but only you know exactly what transpired. Of course, full control through a jutsu like Tsukuyomi has a vastly superior effect, but this technique requires much less chakra support. _And_ it doesn't require a Sharingan, whereas most of my other techniques do." He paused, cocking an eyebrow in her direction. "Care to try it out?"

* * *

They spent the next several hours on the training field, delving further into the world of genjutsu. In addition to possessing exceedingly fine chakra control, Itachi was pleased to discover that Sakura was also a quick learner. It took her a handful of tries to get the initial technique down - crafting a truly convincing starting target turned out to be harder than the kunoichi had anticipated - but once she got over that particular hump, Itachi found himself with relatively little to criticize. _Well, besides the fact that not one of her attempts had even slightly rattled him._

She'd settled on Sasuke as the subject of her genjutsu. Theoretically, it seemed like a good idea; like Hatake, Sasuke was obviously familiar to them both. However, Itachi soon realized that the kunoichi's feelings towards his brother were making it difficult for her to even try and inspire terror through him. Thanks to the mental scars littering his history, it was admittedly not so easy to truly frighten Itachi, but, really, she could do a bit better than repeatedly presenting him with a spiky-haired twelve-year-old in a blue shirt, white shorts, and a Leaf hitai-ate who scowled far too much and muttered petulantly about first avenging and then restoring his Clan. _Even when he's an illusion, she can't bear to even suggest that he'd be capable of anything truly brutal_. At least she had the technique down, if not quite the bloodthirsty intent. _Odds were, it would come in time… unfortunately._

As he stared down her latest illusion (this particular version of Sasuke clutched a kunai in a vaguely menacing fashion and vowed to murder him in cold blood), Itachi savored the opportunity to see his little brother from Sakura's perspective. While he was in Konoha, Jiraiya had tried to keep Itachi updated regarding Sasuke's activities, but it was always secondhand and from the vantage of an outsider, while the visions that Sakura had been projecting over the past couple of hours were far more authentic and intimate... _the memory of a beloved teammate_.

Breaking the genjutsu with a flash of his eyes, Itachi eyed the focused kunoichi intently, his own memory of an even younger Sasuke, standing beside him in a clearing after several hours of kunai training, rising to the forefront of his mind. She was starting to look rather drained, and Itachi didn't want to be held responsible for anyone experiencing chakra exhaustion. "I think that's probably enough for today, Sakura. You've done well."

"Arigato, Itachi-san!" She blushed prettily. _Hn, Itachi-san. That was a new one._ He rather liked it.


	9. The Secrets of the Sharingan

_[AN: Thanks again for all the interest in this little project of mine; fun to know that people are interested and reading! The usual warnings apply: (1) this story is rated M (this chapter for suggestive/foul language) and (2) I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 9. The Secrets of the Sharingan**

Sakura awoke the next morning to bright sunlight pouring through the window. Rubbing her eyes, she realized from the way that the light was slanting that she'd slept rather late. _It must have been all that training yesterday._

Their first session together had been far more enjoyable than she'd expected. Well, the genjutsu involving Kaka-sensei had been a bit traumatic, but she got over it pretty fast once she remembered that it was, very fortunately, all in her head. Itachi had made for an extremely effective instructor. With a bare minimum of words, he'd easily, patiently addressed all of her questions, and his quiet, yet thoughtful coaching quickly bolstered her confidence. She wasn't a jonin-level genjutsu user yet by any stretch of the imagination, but she'd never before progressed so far with a new technique in such a short amount of time. _It's a pity he went rogue; he would have made for a fine sensei to one very lucky squad of genin…_

As per their usual routine, Sakura found Itachi sitting at the kitchen table. This morning, however, he had a stack of books by his side, and the kunoichi felt the bookworm inside her immediately spring to attention. _Hopefully, the Uchiha's literary preferences are more tasteful than a certain ex-sensei's._ She sat down at the table, eyes quickly gravitating towards the open page of the book Itachi had in front of him. _Well, it certainly doesn't look like_ Icha Icha… _font's much too small. Probably something serious, given the heftiness. Hm… looks like… something to do with defensive strategy? How… appropriate._

Her snooping was soon interrupted by a rather bemused "Hn?" Sakura felt her cheeks go scarlet, realizing just how obviously she'd been staring. She averted her eyes and started eating the breakfast he'd laid out for her; however, when Itachi gently shut the book a minute or two later, she launched back into detective mode despite her embarrassment, desperate to know the title. _If he'd only move his dratted hand, then she'd be able to see_. Books could provide a great deal of insight into their reader - she'd learned this recently with Sai - and she was eager for more of a peek into her companion's mind.

He answered the question for her. "I would have told you if you'd asked. It's _A Shinobi's Guide to Defense_."

 _A classic._ "What else do you have there?" Her eyes darted to the rest of the stack. While she preferred fluffy romance as a girl, under Tsunade's tutelage, Sakura had quickly become a voracious consumer of works of all kinds - most medic nins were - and the sight of a sizable stack of books after going over a week without had her palms twitching to crack one open.

Itachi seemed to sense her eagerness. "Have a look. It's a taste of my own collection. I have some business to attend to today, so I thought these might assist with your training in my place."

Sakura's face fell at the news that Itachi wouldn't be spending the day with her. She'd been rather looking forward to another sparring session and was eager to see what else he'd be teaching her. _And you won't get to ogle that sinful body of his,_ her Inner sneakily added. _Kami, not her again; she wasn't making this situation any easier._ "Arigato, Itachi."

He nodded and stood, evidently ready to get on his way. The Uchiha seemed to be in a particularly good mood this morning, at least as far as she could tell - the shadows under his eyes looked slightly less severe, and the smirk on his face was softer than usual. _Much more smile-like_ , she realized, warmed by the thought. It seemed that yesterday's training session had done both of them some good.

* * *

As he made his way towards the village, moving swiftly over the snowy landscape, Itachi found his mind wandering back to the pink-haired kunoichi he'd left in the lodge. He could see her now, curled up under a throw, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her hair as she sank her teeth into the first chapter. He was idly curious to find out which book she'd gravitate towards. Earlier that morning while she'd been sleeping, he'd spent more time that he cared to admit selecting the titles. His collection was sizable, and he wanted to make sure he provided Sakura with only choice options. _It was for educational purposes, of course. Not because he was trying to seem thoughtful. Obviously._ _Tch, he'd better keep telling himself that_. Well, whichever book she picked up first, he just hoped that she eventually discovered the surprise he'd planted. It would make much of what was still to come a great deal easier for the both of them… _and for Sasuke_.

Itachi slowed to a walk as he reached the outskirts of the town, allowing himself to catch his breath. All the activity yesterday had tired him out more than he anticipated. _It seemed that his body's ability to recover really wasn't what it used to be._ The knowledge rankled him - he'd always demanded perfection of himself and detested weakness - but, it was in truth no major matter. He only needed to make it through a few more months, after all.

 _Now, where had his damned partner gone off to._

He found the shark-man soon enough, strolling by the docks. Kisame looked up as the Uchiha approached, sensing his presence even though his chakra signature was suppressed as usual. It was one of the advantages of partnering with the same person for almost a half-decade. "Itachi, you're a sight for sore eyes. Care to explain what you've been up to these past… _ten_ days?"

He supposed that Kisame had a right to be irritated, not that he'd ever admit as much out loud. Prior to their skirmish with the Konoha ANBU squad, Itachi had vaguely explained to his partner that he'd be infiltrating the Leaf as a prisoner and breaking out with a captive of his own, but he hadn't exactly gone into detail. A lack of specifics was usually a nonissue for the shark-man. They both knew well that Itachi was the brains behind their partnership, and Kisame seemed to like things that way. However, he doubted that his partner had expected his absence to run on for so long _and_ that he'd be incommunicado the entire time. "I've been busy," he replied shortly, giving Kisame a cautionary glance. The small port wasn't exactly bustling - there were currently only a few fishing boats docked in the harbor - but he'd still prefer to shift the conversation to a more private venue.

Catching his drift, Kisame nodded almost imperceptibly, and the pair followed the coastline away from the village until all sounds of human life beyond their own footsteps on the snow faded away. With a quick twitch of his right hand, Itachi laid down a genjutsu, obscuring their tracks. Kisame spoke first, beady eyes sparkling with amusement. "So, Hirotami tells me you picked up _a girl_."

Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'd told you I'd be taking a captive."

"You didn't tell me it would be a _her_. Or that she'd be young. And _attractive_." He laughed at the vague scowl that had made its way onto Itachi's face. "I didn't know you had it in you, Itachi. Now, I want details. Who is she?"

Itachi shrugged, hoping that relatively overt displays of disinterest would keep Kisame's prying to a relative minimum. The story that he'd concocted as cover for his true mission seemed solid, but he'd prefer to avoid any _intimate_ discussions of Sakura, for his sanity as much as anything else. "The Hokage's apprentice."

The man's eyes widened in shock. "You captured… _the Hokage's apprentice_ from underneath her nose. In a village swarming with ANBU bastards. And you've been holding the girl captive for _ten fucking days._ Wasn't she that little pink-haired vixen that took down Sasori? She's supposed to be pretty damn powerful. _Dammit_ , Itachi! I know you were good, but how'd you ever pull this one off? And why the hell did you keep a thing like this all to yourself? I know you like to hold your cards close to your chest, but, seriously, Pein's going to be ecstatic." _Or at least as happy as he ever got. Like Itachi himself, he wasn't exactly the most emotive member of their organization. That had probably been Hidan, may he rot in hell. Or Deidara. Yes, definitely Deidara. It fit with all the explosives._

"Hn. She resisted, initially. It didn't matter much as long as she was unwilling to work with us," Itachi lied smoothly, shoulders shrugging in feigned nonchalance.

Kisame cackled. "So you've _penetrated_ her defenses, eh? You aren't exactly one for words... I assume those devastatingly dark and handsome looks of yours eventually did the trick. Or did you take the easy route out and use your eyes?"

He didn't really like his partner's tone, but he couldn't help but respond to _that_. While Itachi had no intention to fall for Kisame's bait, he _was_ a man, after all. "Kisame, you know better. I can be _very convincing_ when I try."

"On the contrary, Itachi, I'm sure she found you _thoroughly convincing_ ," the grey-skinned man leered, lips splitting into a pointed smile. "I trust the task wasn't too _onerous_ for you. Tell me, what's she like when she's all hot and bothered? Feisty? I imagine that all that chakra-enhanced strength of hers could feel _pretty damn good_ in bed." He chuckled. "I understand now why you were in no rush to tell anyone. Deidara will have a fucking field day when he finds out..."

"Tch. She's _my_ prisoner. You'll all do well to remember that." Herein lied the possible flaw. It was imperative that Itachi keep the rest of the Akatsuki far away from Sakura, for the kunoichi's safety, of course, but most importantly, for his own plan's cover. If Deidara showed up - _and the horndog_ would _if he knew_ \- Itachi would have no choice but to rush to her defense. The very idea of that obnoxious blonde anywhere near the girl enraged him, and trying to explain why he took out one of their other members to Pein when they were already down Sasori, Hidan, and Kakuzu would be a major headache.

The man laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Now then, Uchiha-san, no need to get territorial! She's got quite the hold on you, eh? Must really be something. Let it be known, though, once you've tired of her, I'd love to _test her out._ "

Itachi had had just about enough of his teammate's innuendos; it was time to shift gears before his jaw actually locked from clenching. "Hn. Don't be crass. Things with the girl are nothing personal, just a means to an end. One of her teammates is the Nine Tails."

Kisame's thin eyebrows shot up towards his hitai-ate. " _Well now_. Itachi, I'm impressed. Here, I thought you'd given up on that damn jinchuuriki altogether, and you go and pull _this_ out of your ass. Although, you're playing dirty this time around, turning teammate against teammate like that. Not pretty, my friend." He chuckled, fondly stroking the hilt of his sword. "So, what's next? I haven't seen any action since our tangle with the Leaf bastards over a week ago, and Samehada is starving."

Itachi gave his partner a smirk. "I need you to be patient, Kisame," he murmured darkly, eyes shifting into his Sharingan in a subtle reminder that he was the man in charge of this partnership. "Things with the kunoichi are… progressing well, but I need another solid week to make sure she doesn't turn on us the minute I release her."

Kisame laughed. "You mean, more time to _fuck_ that sweet little... wait, _release her?_ "

"Tch. She's no use to us _here_. Once I know she's trustworthy, it'll be back to Konoha with her. She'll cozy up to the jinchuuriki like a good little whore and await my signal. Then, when the moment's right, she'll lead the Nine Tails straight to us. No one will suspect a thing."

"Itachi, my man, you are fucking unbelievable." _Hoshigaki Kisame had never spoken a truer word._

* * *

Sakura spread the trove of books out along her bed, eagerly scanning the titles. Unsurprisingly, they seemed to be heavy on theory. In addition to the book of defensive maneuvers that Itachi had been reading, there was a thick volume on military strategies; a series on two-, three-, and four-man formations; and a particularly intriguing option devoted to genjutsu. _Perhaps she'd begin there…_

But there were more options to consider. A book on the founding of Konoha was up next. _Strange that Itachi has this in his possession given his personal history._ A couple of novels followed - _maybe he thought she'd want a break from "serious" reading_ \- and, to round out the collection, a purple-jacketed volume she knew well, _A Thousand Poisons and Their Antidotes._ It was a recent favorite of hers, actually. In addition to the intel about Orochimaru, a rather nasty scar on her lower torso, an even greater appreciation for the Konoha-Suna alliance, and a heavy heart, she'd walked away from her battle with Sasori of the Red Sands with a renewed interest in antidotes. In the week leading up to her abduction, she'd been steadily working her way through this particular book. Admittedly, she was a bit surprised to find a copy in Itachi's possession - it was written for medic-nin, and he hadn't demonstrated any knowledge of the field - but she wasn't about to complain. Decision made, she quickly flipped to the index. _Where had she been… that's right, the section on the forty-four toxic mushroom species of Iwagakure…_

Settling in for a nice study session, Sakura's right knee knocked into something pointy. _Ugh, that was going to leave a mark; good thing she could heal it later._ Glancing down, she realized that she'd missed Itachi's final offering: a little book with a dingy, grey-black cover. Setting down her med-nin text, she scooped it up, curiosity ignited. It felt worn against her fingers, as if a thousand hands had held it before her, and her eyes strained in vain to read the faded text on the cover. It seemed that the title and author's name had once been written in gilt characters, but time hard worn almost all of the gold away. Sakura delicately flipped to the first page. Handwritten in stilted black ink was a title:

" _The Secrets of the Sharingan: A Journey Through the Eyes of the Uchiha."_

There was no author. The kunoichi's head began to spin with questions. _What had Itachi left her with? Where had it come from? Whose handwriting was this? Had he_ meant _to leave this in her possession?_

Perhaps, it would be best to put the book down. After all, she was definitely _no_ Uchiha, and she'd wager a significant sum that it had been written for clan members by clan members. While not from an elite clan herself, she'd had enough exposure to people like Neji, Hinata, and Sasuke to know how deeply they guarded their secrets, particularly when it came to their precious Kekkei Genkai. Reading this would be a stunning invasion of the Uchihas' privacy.

 _Then again, the only two remaining Uchiha were Itachi and Sasuke, and it wasn't like either one of them had shown much respect for, well, anything. Besides, what if Itachi had_ intended _for her to read it? He'd left the book in her possession after all, and the man was nothing if not fastidious. And if he hadn't… well, hopefully he wouldn't be_ too _angry. It had been his mistake, not hers. And it wasn't like she really cared how he felt about her, anyway. He's certainly made it clear that he wanted nothing more to do with her in that way. Right?_

 _Wrong!_ Came a singsongy cry deep within the recesses of her mind.

 _Kami, not her. Shut up._ Throwing caution to the winds (she'd do almost anything to keep her Inner distracted), Sakura flipped the page, expecting to find an index, but there didn't seem to be one of those either. Well, there was nothing for it but to begin at the beginning.

" _Chapter One. The History of the Uchiha."_

* * *

Hours passed. Sakura remained rooted to her bed, burning her way through the strange little book. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, the sun was now growing low in the sky, and her stomach was reminding her quite audibly of those two incongruous facts, yet she couldn't put it down.

Ever since being placed on a team with two Sharingan wielders at the age of twelve, those eyes had utterly fascinated her… dangerously beautiful, shrouded in layers of lore, and so, tremendously powerful. Of course, this was probably due at first to her childhood crush on Sasuke - when they were genin, everything that boy did and possessed had seemed rare and special - but her interest soon ran deeper. Even as a girl, Sakura possessed a certain curiosity about most aspects of the shinobi world, and the eyes of her sensei and Sasuke-kun represented an elusive mystery she hoped to one day solve. Her interest had only grown during her medic-nin training. For a time, she'd attempted to learn about the various Kekkei Genkai of Konoha, partially out of simple curiosity but also from a desire to better serve _all_ of the shinobi of the village (it was part of the medic-nin oath, after all). While information about the Byakugan had been frustratingly sparse and had to be supplemented by surreptitious conversations with Hinata, literature on the Sharingan was virtually nonexistent, and Kakashi, as a non-Uchiha and largely self-taught wielder, was of limited assistance. After two years of fruitless searching, she'd given up on ever learning more. But now, Itachi had, unintentionally or on purpose, given her _this gift_...

After a whirlwind tour of the Uchiha clan's ancient history that stopped in the days of the Shodai Hokage, the book moved on to the Sharingan itself. Sakura was horrified to learn that emotional trauma was a seeming requirement for the Sharingan's awakening and that Uchiha parents used to intentionally expose their young children to danger for this purpose. _If Sasuke or Itachi were to ever have children, just theoretically, of course, was this something that they would want to do?_ _It was unforgivable!_ And yet, as she continued reading about all of the powers that even a "run-of-the-mill" Sharingan granted - sensing chakra, enhanced sight including Kakashi's impressive copy ability, improved defenses, and access to a whole cadre of increasingly powerful genjutsu abilities - the kunoichi realized that it might almost be worth it.

Part III discussed the Mangekyo Sharingan. Again, Sakura shivered at the cost, and yet, as she read of the techniques - of Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Kamui, Kotoamatsukami, and Susanoo - she understood _why_. _The sheer power… it was remarkable!_ Of course, she'd seen Itachi in action before and had witnessed the lingering effects of Tsukuyomi on Kakashi and Sasuke, but having it all written out gave her a much fuller appreciation of the depth of the Mangekyo's abilities. She found herself wondering what other skills Itachi possessed... _a_ _lthough, given that pretty much all of the techniques sounded quite unpleasant, perhaps she was better off_ not _knowing._

Flipping the page to the next section, the kunoichi let out a broad smile. _This was it, at long last… "Medical Care."_ Re-energized, her eyes flitted rapidly across the pages, mind eagerly absorbing a trove of information about basic care and maintenance, routine tests, treatments for minor ocular injuries, and recommendations for handling side effects of overuse. As she reached the section dedicated to the Mangekyo; however, the kunoichi's stomach flip-flopped unpleasantly:

" _As previously discussed (refer to Part III), the Mangekyo Sharingan grants its wielder advanced powers far beyond those of the basic Sharingan. These heightened abilities are not without added cost. Like most other advanced techniques, the Mangekyo's basic chakra demands are great, putting the user at higher risk for routine overuse injuries and chakra exhaustion. Over time, the stress that this advanced form puts on the physical body wears it down, leading to increased risk for infection, greater susceptibility to illness and latent autoimmune conditions, gradual deterioration of sight that eventually results in total blindness, and premature death."_

Sakura tore her eyes from the page, staring across the room without truly seeing. _Uchiha Itachi, the prodigy of his clan, was going blind!_ It was almost inconceivable; he hadn't show any signs of significant vision loss as far as she'd noticed. _Perhaps he hasn't experienced the effect yet?_ But no, he'd possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan since before the Uchiha massacre, and that was over a decade ago. Her eyes returned to the page, rereading the paragraph. _If it's a gradual process, then perhaps he's learned to cope? Yes, that had to be it._ But still, if this book was to be trusted, his sight would continue to dim with each use. _And then what?_ Sakura felt hot tears build in her eyes as she pictured a sightless Itachi, slowly making his way down a dusty road, head bowed as he listened intently to the steady taps of a bamboo cane. _Surely, there was something that could be done - that she could do - to help_. Because, yes, she wanted to help him, even if his ultimate goal remained murky. _He hasn't said what he plans to do after Sasuke is retrieved_. _Did it matter? Whatever followed, there was goodness there. Surely, he wouldn't return to the Akatsuki, would he?_

Leaving the mess that was Itachi's future alone for the time being, Sakura returned her attention to the page in front of her. " _Conventional therapies and diets designed to reduce the deterioration of the normal eye have failed to slow the damaging effects of the Mangekyo. To date, the only successful treatment has been transplantation."_

Sakura plodded through the next few pages, which reviewed in detail the transplantation process. While she'd never before performed an eye transplant, she'd overseen ocular surgeries numerous times and been involved on surgical teams for heart, kidney, and lung transplants. The theory was quite similar. At least, until the text turned its attention to the donor's identity. " _In order for successful restoration of vision, the organs must come from a close blood relative, preferably a sibling. In addition to full recovery of sight, this surgery results in the emergence of the legendary Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan (to be discussed in further detail in Part V)."_

 _Oh, Kami! Sasuke-kun!_ Well, it appeared that she'd just discovered why Itachi wanted to reclaim his brother from Orochimaru's clutches.


	10. The Truth

_[AN: Thanks again for reading! Please note that things do heat up in this chapter - This story is rated M for several reasons, and this chapter is one of them. If this isn't your cup of tea, please bow out after the line about delicious madness. In other news, I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 10: The Truth**

Itachi returned to the lodge in the early hours of the morning, eager for medication, food, a hot shower, sleep, and Sakura in that order. While he took the return trip more slowly, he was exhausted. The conversation with Kisame had been an annoyance, but it was really the travel combined with the full day of genjutsu training that had worn him out.

 _Should he ask Sakura to examine him?_ His condition was becoming decidedly troublesome, and he didn't have the luxury of going easy on himself in the coming months. On the other hand, there was little she'd be able to do, and the healing process was liable to be exceedingly awkward. In order for Sakura to do anything for his lungs, _skin-to-skin contact_ would be required, and having those warm, little hands on his naked chest would _definitely_ make him do something he regretted. Ever since that night in the Land of Stone, he'd managed to suppress his urges, but he couldn't say he hadn't been tempted…

After removing his outer robe and grabbing a pill and some food in the kitchen, Itachi realized that he could sense the girl's chakra in the dining room. He was surprised to find her still awake, seated at her usual place, green eyes smoldering. _What had gotten into her?_ Squinting slightly, he realized that she was clutching a familiar little black book tightly in her right hand. _Well, she'd found it, just as he'd hoped._ Her lips curled into a dangerous smile as their eyes met. "I know _the truth_ , Itachi."

"Tch."

* * *

Sakura eyed the man in front of her, anger tearing through her system. _How could he stand there so coolly, like he wasn't plotting to further destroy his brother's life?_ Well, it was no matter; his malicious plan wasn't going to get past _her_. "I found this, _Itachi_ ," she whispered, voice low with barely suppressed rage. " _The Secrets of the Sharingan,_ hm? An _illuminating_ read - I thank you for it."

"Hn, I was hoping you'd enjoy my literary offerings," he replied evenly, activating his Sharingan. "I take it that you now have a better understanding of these eyes?"

"Mm, _much better_. But let's cut the crap. You might be powerful, brilliant, and handsome, but I'll _never_ let you hurt Sasuke." _Had she really just told him to his face that he was attractive?_ A bit embarrassing, but it was no matter. All the sexual attraction in the world wouldn't distract her now.

The Uchiha's eyes widened slightly. "I'm not entirely sure I follow…"

" _Oh, don't be cute_. I read about the Eternal Mangekyo, Itachi. I'm no prodigy, but I'm no _baka_ , either. I know you're going blind, and I know exactly what you need to reverse it. After you kill Orochimaru and disable Sasuke, you're planning on taking his eyes for yourself. And you need me there to perform the transplant." _That blank face of his was infuriating._ " _What?_ Did you think I'd agree to give you Sasuke-kun's eyes in exchange for his safe return to Konoha? Well, you'd better find yourself another medic, Uchiha Itachi. I'd do almost _anything_ to have Sasuke back, but I'd _never_ betray him like that. His eyes are everything to him; he'd never forgive me! I'd never forgive myself!"

Channeling chakra into her fists, Sakura rushed the elder Uchiha, no longer caring about his stupid Sharingan, his skill, or his ocean of abilities. She should have known that the decency he'd professed to possess had all been an act. He was Uchiha Itachi, after all - There wasn't a kind bone in his despicably attractive body. _To think he'd almost had her!_ Well, she was going to make him pay for it now. Leaping up from the table, she rushed the man. The edges of the room began to blur, and Sakura recognized the effects of his genjutsu kicking in. Channeling every bit of determination her spirit possessed, the kunoichi fought back and the room resolidified. _Yesterday's training session was paying off in spades already; how ironic that she had him to thank for it._

With a victorious cry, Sakura raised her right fist, aiming for that handsome jawline. "Shannaro!"

 _Or not._ The Uchiha dodged, almost too rapidly for her to notice. _Dammit!_ In her rage, she'd forgotten to factor in his chakra-enhanced speed. Off balance, Sakura careened towards the wall. _This might hurt…_

A pair of powerful arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her waist, pulling her off of her collision course and face first into a delightfully firm chest. "Get _off_ of me, Itachi!" She squirmed, but he pulled her closer, forcing their eyes to meet. Of course, she could fight her way out, but all of a sudden, she wasn't entirely sure she _wanted_ to.

"Hn. _No._ You're going to listen to me." His words were calm, yet she could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. _Probably just the effect of the physical exertion of dodging her attack…_

"Can you _at_ _least_ let go?" Having her body pressed up against his was lighting an uncomfortable fire within her. She hated his guts right now, but her body was feeling quite different.

A knowing smirk trailed along Itachi's lips, and he pulled her slightly closer. "Hn. But, I rather _like_ having you like this, _Sakura_." _Ugh, that voice was so unfairly sinful…_

* * *

 _Sakura's body was going to be the end of him._ As soon as he'd realized that the kunoichi was about to fall headlong into the dining room wall, his finely honed senses had reacted on their own accord, pulling her to safety… and into him. And now that he had her in his arms, he was darkly tempted to keep her there. Those delectable breasts and firm little hips pressed into him, forcefully reminding him what it had been like to lie with her naked, free of the layers of clothing currently suffocating their bodies. He could hear the effect that his body was having on her in her voice as she begged him to release her, the lust mirroring his own.

 _He really ought to let go, though. This was definitely_ not _appropriate behavior._

Letting out a heated sigh, Itachi relinquished his hold on the kunoichi, the erection that had sprang up at her touch twitching in frustration. Willing his voice to remain calm, he met the girl's fiery gaze. "Now, Sakura, You misunderstand me. Contrary to what you've concluded, I have no intention of taking my brother's eyes." He paused, noting the disbelief etched on the kunoichi's face. _It was time_. "In fact... I intend to give him _mine_."

At his words, Sakura's lower lip dropped in surprise. _Hn, those lips._ The sensation of her body against his had flipped a switch, and all his pent-up desires were rushing out, polluting his mind and seeking to distract him from what he needed to do. But he couldn't let that happen. At least, not now. Not until he finished telling her everything he needed to say. Shocked green eyes tore into him. "Why… why ever would you do _that_?"

He shrugged in feigned nonchalance. "I don't need my eyes if I'm dead, Sakura."

"Dead?"

"Dead. You've said it to me yourself; Sasuke wants to kill me. I plan to let him. Well, after a fight. I'm not just going to roll over..." She didn't seem to be following, so he elaborated. "You could say that it's the least I can do, for him… for our clan."

"But… _why_?"

 _Of course, that sharp little mind of hers wants to know "why."_ "Sasuke is the most precious person in my life. If I can ease his suffering in some way - give him closure, offer him a shot at redemption - I'll do it. Even if it means my death. For a decade, it's been my dream to see him _happy_ , to see him restore the Uchiha name _for good_. Our clan is cursed, Sakura. And not quite in the way you think. Two nights ago, you asked me why I killed them. I'll tell you now, if you're willing to listen."

He fell silent, eyes locked on Sakura's pale, pinched face. Just when he'd begun to fear that he'd shocked her into perpetual silence, she nodded decisively. "Tell me."

* * *

Of late, the Konoha villagers had taken to referring to Naruto as the "Leaf's Number One Most Unpredictable Ninja." Sakura had found the title apt, but it appeared that Uchiha Itachi planned to challenge her blonde teammate for his crown. After learning of the Eternal Mangekyo, she was certain that she'd finally cracked the missing nin's modus operandi. But now, if her ears were to be believed - and Itachi _had_ told her he'd never lie to her - every single assumption she'd made was so, dead wrong. His face was so earnest that she found herself believing him, wanting to know _more_.

Itachi wet his lips, and Sakura felt her eyes drawn to them, a warm feeling stirring side by side with the shock. Unmasked and open like this, he was more attractive to her than ever. "As you likely read this afternoon, the Uchiha were one of the founding clans of Konoha. We served the village for generations as loyal shinobi, holding prominent roles as jonin, in the police force, and, yes, on ANBU. That all changed about a dozen years ago." The tomoe in his eyes began spinning, and Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat at their dangerous beauty. "At the age of eleven, soon after my induction into ANBU, I became aware of a plot, hatched by the leading men and women of my clan, to overthrow the Hokage and seize control of Konoha."

"A _coup_?"

"Ah. I was shocked at first but soon realized what I had do. While clan heir, my responsibility was to my village first. Unbeknownst even to my father, I informed the Sandaime Hokage and his High Council, swearing my allegiance and offering my services as a spy. For almost two years, another loyal clansman and I served in this capacity, monitoring our friends, our family as they steadily moved forward with their traitorous intent. With the blessing of Sarutobi-sama, my partner, Shisui, eventually hatched a counterplan, intending to use Kotoamatsukami on my father as a way of putting a stop to the plot before it could spiral out of control."

Sakura thought back to her readings. "Kotoamatsukami… that's the mind-controlling genjutsu?" He nodded. "It sounded incredibly powerful, though. How could it have failed?"

Itachi frowned, an unfamiliar anger coloring his pale face. "One of the other individuals on the High Council... _doubted_ Shisui. He double-crossed him, attacking my friend and destroying his right eye. Distraught at having been deprived of what seemed our only chance at stopping our clan, Shisui killed himself, and, suddenly, at the tender age of just barely thirteen, I found myself the owner of my own Mangekyo Sharingan."

Sakura felt a gasp escape her lips. She'd been trying not to interrupt Itachi, but she couldn't help her curiosity. "That Council Member... Itachi, who was it? Is he on the Council still? You know I'm Tsunade-sama's apprentice; I can put in a private word to her…"

"It would do no good, Sakura," Itachi replied quietly, the raw anger that had taken over his voice at the mention of his friend's betrayal dying down. "Unless things have changed far more in Konoha than I think they have, there's little that the Hokage can do against a member of the High Council." Sakura bowed her head in silent acknowledgment of this truth. Her _Shishou_ often spoke dismissively of the Council as a bunch of useless geezers, but the kunoichi knew well that they possessed a great deal of power and couldn't be shoved aside by hearsay.

"While Shisui's death was a suicide, suspicions soon fell on me. I tried to keep the emergence of my evolved Sharingan secret from all but a few trusted friends in ANBU; however, I am certain that my father had his suspicions, and it was a common misconception that _murder_ , not just the trauma of a close friend's death, was the only way to obtain the Mangekyo. A few weeks after Shisui's death, I was confronted by some of my clansmen and realized that my days as a free man were numbered. Worse still, plans for the coup were nearing completion. At my next briefing with Sarutobi-sama and the High Council, I reported the developments and was informed that the village would move forward with the extermination of the Uchiha within the week. Sarutobi protested - he still wished to negotiate with my father - but he was outnumbered and overruled."

Itachi paused, and Sakura felt her heart break as she took in the unmeasurable pain in the man's eyes. "So, was that, _it_ , then? But why ever was the massacre tasked to you? How could you bring yourself to do it?"

The missing-nin let out a long, low sigh, eyes glistening. "I told you earlier, Sakura, that I am loyal to my village first and foremost. This is a truth; however, every shinobi has his or her weakness, and I am no exception. There is one person whom, for better or for worse, I value above all else. I suspect you know of whom I speak."

 _Oh Kami, it had to be!_ "Sasuke-kun," she murmured, hot tears of her own beginning to fill her eyes as she was struck by a sudden realization that this man, Uchiha Itachi, was the bravest, most selfless being she had ever met.

Itachi nodded. "I begged for his life, Sakura. I swore I'd do _anything_ they asked if they'd only spare my brother. While some resisted, Sarutobi-sama managed to convince a majority of the Council to consider my plea, promising that he would take personal responsibility for monitoring my brother in my absence and for ensuring that he remained forever ignorant of our family's treachery. And so, I was given a choice. Stand idle and watch as every other member of my clan, including my dear brother, was cut down… or take matters into my own hands and preserve Sasuke's life. Needless to say, I chose the latter."

Itachi fell silent, turning his handsome face away from her view, and Sakura felt herself overcome by an urge to somehow try and comfort this wonderful, broken man. Without thinking, she closed the space between them, pulling him into a gentle hug, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. Itachi stood, unmoved, and then he relaxed, body easing into her embrace. "I don't want your sympathy, Sakura," he murmured from above her. "I long ago made peace with my decision. Had I not done… what I did… many more innocent lives would have been lost. As the heir to a clan of traitors, it was, and remains, my responsibility to set things right."

Deep within, Sakura felt that familiar anger that seemed to bubble up far too often these days rising against the Uchiha and their idiotic thirst for power, but even more so against the men and women on the High Council for the horrific treatment to which Itachi had been subjected. _Surely, there had to have been some other way. Something else that could have been done? To put all this on the shoulders of one man, no matter how gifted, how noble, seemed horrifically cruel._ She struggled to find the words to respond to Itachi's statement, to tell him how sorry she was, how angry, but also how grateful. After all, he'd saved her village. Had it not been for his actions that night, she might not even be _alive_ today. "Itachi…"

"Hn?"

"Arigato, _Itachi-san_." Looking up, Sakura watched, transfixed, as a single tear ran down his handsome face. Rising onto her tiptoes, she slowly, gently allowed her lips to settle over his in a kiss, heart hammering away in her chest.

* * *

As Sakura's soft, full lips met his own, Itachi's first impulse was to pull away. He didn't want her pity and had no right to accept such tender affection. She thought him a savior, yet the blood of hundreds was on his hands, many of whom had been utterly innocent of wrongdoing. Yes, he had justification for _some_ of those murders, but that didn't make him a _hero_ by any stretch of the imagination. Moreover, at this late hour, he was little more than a dead man walking. As he'd confessed to Sakura, he fully intended for Sasuke to end his miserable life and if, by some inconceivable stroke of ill fortune he ended up surviving that fateful encounter, his condition would claim it soon enough.

 _And yet.._. his first almost full retelling of the lead-up to the massacre had broken some barrier inside him, and he found himself returning her kiss despite _everything_ that had happened, that was going to happen, at first hesitantly and then with more fervor as a hot little tongue darted somewhat tentatively against his lower lip, delicate hands rising up to tangle lovingly through his dark locks. This girl, with her feminine caresses and gentle fragrance of honeysuckle, was quickly overwhelming his senses, and he no longer wished to resist her.

A breathy moan alerted Itachi to the fact that he was not the only one growing emotionally unbalanced. He had to be the adult here, to put a stop to this while he still could. "Sakura," he whispered against her lips, the huskiness of his voice making it almost unrecognizable, "We can't… do this."

Plush pink lips parted from his own, and then glowing green eyes were upon his own, so tantalizingly powerful in their intensity. "Yes… _oh, Itachi_. Please. Let me…"

 _She wanted this. She wanted him._ Itachi allowed his arms to drift down her torso, kissing her fiercely in surrender. The exhaustion of the day melting off of his shoulders, he took the kunoichi into his arms, savoring the feeling of her slender little body against his. "Bedroom," he murmured, lips smiling against hers as she let out a louder groan in response. _It was such utter, delicious madness…_

* * *

As he placed her on the navy bedspread, Sakura withdrew her arms from Itachi's shoulders, bringing her hands under the hem of his shirt. His back clenched in recognition as she pulled the garment up and over his head, depositing it on the ground. She craved contact, thirsted for the feeling of his hard body pressed to hers, and he was evidently on a similar wavelength. Calloused hands made quick work of her top and were soon running over her bare breasts, setting her on fire as they worked their way to her rosy nipples with a teasing pinch. Arching into his touch, Sakura's lips let out a needy groan that left her blushing. "Tch, don't hold back, _Sakura_ ," he murmured, the desire in his blazing red eyes setting a fire between her quivering thighs.

 _Oh, Kami, she needed more…_ _so much more._ Almost of their own accord, Sakura's hands slipped to Itachi's waist, making quick work of his belt, pants, and briefs and then snaking towards his growing member. Fully exposed, he let out a hiss as she wrapped her right hand around his girth, pumping just as he'd shown her previously. "Ah, easy there," he cautioned after several strokes, right hand gripping gently onto her wrist to bring her ministrations to a stop.

"Too fast?" She asked softly.

"Ah, no. Too _nice_ … much, much too nice. May I… _reciprocate?_ "

His hands had wandered to the waistband of her leggings. Face flushing with desire, Sakura nodded, biting her lip as those seductive hands stripped her of her pants and panties. Reverently making his way back up her now bare legs, his fingers slowed as they trailed along her left thigh, approaching her apex. She parted her legs slightly in invitation, and Itachi took the hint, a single finger darting inside her wet heat. "Oh, that's _good_ …" she gasped, a familiar tightness growing as a second finger slipped inside her, intensifying the sensation.

"Hn, just good?"

He picked up a bit of speed, and Sakura let out a cry, hips bucking in a feral rhythm. "No… it's great… so great… it's _perfect_ … oh, _Itachi..._ " Rising up, he nibbled her neck, and with that, the tightness growing inside her burst, ushering in a climax that saw her seeing stars.

Gradually, his slender fingers slowed, withdrawing from her core. He kissed her sweetly, and she eagerly returned the gesture. It felt as if she were floating on a cloud, all the troubles and worries that had mired her mind suddenly far away. _Now, to make Itachi join her._ Reaching down between their bodies, Sakura took him into her hand once more, slowly stroking him. His reactions - the spinning of his tomoe, the subtle quivering of his upper lip, the clenching of his stomach - thrilled her. "Itachi, I… I want _more_ ," she murmured, emerald eyes locking declaratively on his. "Do you?"

Dark brows furrowed in response. "Sakura… are you _sure_? I don't expect you to…"

She smiled gently, letting go of his member and allowing her hands to drift onto the sheets. "Yes. I'm certain. _Please, Itachi_ …"

He regarded her silently, and, under the intensity of his gaze, she found herself wondering whether the Sharingan allowed him to see into her soul. His chin dropped slightly, as if steeling himself for whatever was to come; _he had reached his decision_. "As you wish. Tell me if you want to stop, though. _At_ _any time_." The tomoe spun faster as he gave her a searing kiss and then rose up onto his knees, hands coming to her hips and shifting her body so that her thighs were spread wide, core open towards him. It was decidedly intimate, and Sakura fought her impetus to blush. He seemed to sense her embarrassment. "You have nothing to fear..." Itachi murmured in that silky baritone of his, blazing eyes drilling into her own as his left hand moved to his member, tentatively brushing the tip along her core. Surprised by the sensation, Sakura breathed in sharply and shut her eyes tight, body tensing with nerves despite his comforting words.

"Sakura," came Itachi's patient voice after several heartbeats, "If you wish to do this, please try to _relax_. I don't want to hurt you..."

Opening her eyes, Sakura released her death grip on the sheets. " _Sorry._ I just thought… uhmm…" Itachi's right index and middle fingers had found that spot she liked again, cutting off her apology with a moan. She relished the sensation; _it was so, toe-curlingly good_. There was something else this time, though. A bit lower down from Itachi's fingers, she felt an unfamiliar pressure, a stretching, starting to build within her. It was kind of... _strange_. And it was starting to _hurt_ …

With some disappointment, Sakura realized that Itachi had withdrawn his fingers. He was shifting back on top of her now, though, and she rather enjoyed the additional contact with his body, her hands wrapping around his shoulders and gently gripping into his upper back. Opening her eyes, she took in the intense concentration and pleasure etched on Itachi's face; _oh, but he was handsome_. The pressure in her center was building as well, though; it was starting to hurt _more_. In an effort to ease the pain, Sakura shifted her thighs slightly, bringing them slightly higher up Itachi's body. Firm hands gripped on to her sides in response. "Sakura," Itachi breathed, his voice rougher than she'd ever heard it, "Please… don't. Right now. I'm trying to… to take it slow…"

 _Oh._ "Is that… all the way?" She asked timidly. She felt a pinch even deeper inside herself and realized that she had her answer, letting out a little gasp of discomfort despite her best efforts.

Itachi grimaced slightly, a tinge of guilt on his face. "Hn, half way. Don't worry about it; there's no rush." His lips captured her own once more, and Sakura let out a moan of pain. She was so full… _too full. There was no way! But still he was going deeper… deeper… deeper…_

After what felt like an eternity, he stopped moving, and she was vaguely aware that his body seemed to be flush against hers. Shifting slightly under him, she decided that she was somewhat getting used to the fullness, and the stretching was, well, kind of uncomfortable, but manageable. _It was almost good?_ Certain nerves that she hadn't even been aware of were firing most interestingly, at least. Curious, she pulsed the muscles in her core, and Itachi let out an _extremely_ sexy grunt in response. "Was that, nice?"

"So fucking nice," He murmured, smiling hazily. She did it again and was rewarded with a second grunt. "If you keep doing that though, I'm not going to last…"

* * *

The carnal part of him couldn't believe how good Sakura felt. _So hot, so tight, every inch, perfection_. Her teasing was driving him mad, though, and she seemed to have an inkling of her effect. If he wanted any hope of prolonging things, he needed to _move._ He rose back up and brought his hands underneath Sakura's thighs, raising her legs slightly for leverage. Then, keeping careful watch of her flushed face to ensure she didn't seem to be experiencing too much discomfort, he slowly allowed his hips to drift back half way in a gentle thrusting motion. As her body enveloped him once more, Itachi couldn't help but let out a small groan. Her wet heat felt _fantastic_... he just hoped she wasn't experiencing too much pain. The look on her face suggested that she seemed to be managing fairly well, all things considered. He could see from the tension in her brow that she wasn't fully comfortable yet, but there was pleasure there too. He gently thrust again, and Sakura let out a moan of her own this time, hips rising up slightly to meet his. "Was that… okay?" She asked softly, a little smile dancing along her lips.

"Mmhn." _Okay didn't even begin to cover it._ Itachi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down a bit. Holding his hips still for the time being, he leaned in towards the girl's slender neck and began to trail a line of kisses along her collarbone, fighting to refocus his pleasure onto her. He had felt his control slipping away for a moment there. Sakura let out a squeal as his lips grazed a particularly sensitive spot, gripping into his shoulders and wrapping her legs tightly around his waist instinctively. _I guess she likes it._ He rather liked the result as well; the way that her hips had dipped down had angled her perfectly towards him, allowing him deeper access. Intrigued by this new angle, Itachi began to move once more, trying to keep the pace slow, to ease himself into her. That was, until Sakura's hands moved up the back of his neck, fingers tangling through his hair... _he couldn't hold himself back any longer_. Light kisses gave way to nibbles and grunts as his hips picked up speed, thrusting into her core as he drove closer to his climax, the girl writhing below him, pink lips parted in a needy mew. He savored the feeling of her lithe body, the light, floral scent of her hair, his growing awareness of the warm, mint-green glow of her chakra meshing with his own charcoal. He'd never actually made love to another shinobi before, and the way that their energies tangled as a part of their lovemaking was an aphrodisiac unto itself.

Her hot hands had migrated to his shoulders, clinging on as she levered against him, hips rising valiantly to meet his thrusts, driving his member even deeper into her folds. _That deserved a reward._ Giving the girl a smirk of satisfaction, Itachi reached downward with his right hand, quickly returning to that clockwise motion she had enjoyed so much. "Kami! Itachi… I… I'm… I can't..." The added touch had apparently driven her over the precipice. Itachi felt his smirk broaden as Sakura bucked wildly below him, hips gyrating in ecstasy, his name on her lips. He was teetering on the edge of his own orgasm, and he fought it hard, not wanting the moment to end. _If only he could stay here forever._

Emerald pools drew his own blazing eyes in, and then it was all over. With a deep groan, Itachi hit his peak, waves of pleasure washing over him as he buried himself within her folds one last time, stripped of all pains and frustrations for one, blissful moment of _peace_.

* * *

As Itachi gently withdrew, rolling onto his side, Sakura slowly began to drift back down to earth. Her second orgasm had turned the room almost as foggy as one of his jutsus, but instead of the terror that those tended to inspire, she'd found herself bathed in a warm glow of utter contentment. Yes, she was happy she'd done _this_ and that it had been with _him_ … with this remarkable, powerful, handsome, caring, thoughtful man, who gave himself selflessly. Who shared her values, who loved their village, who showed utter devotion to his brother... _who was going to_ _die. In a matter of months. By said brother's hand._

 _Oh Kami, she couldn't let that happen!_

She was aware that Itachi's death made perfect rational sense: It was to be the final, master stroke in a carefully coordinated life. In fact, now that she knew, she couldn't believe she hadn't seen it coming. He'd said that he intended to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, that he was well aware of his brother's intentions, and that he'd needed a partner to ensure that his return was a success. Because he'd no longer be there himself to assure it. _It was for this reason that he chose me_ , Sakura mused groggily. _Somehow, he knows… I care too. That despite everything, I'll never give up on his brother. And of course, the fact that I'm a medic-nin, that I have the knowledge for harvesting those beautiful eyes of his…. I suppose I'm the perfect vessel. He planted that book; he_ wanted _me to know everything that I could about the Sharingan so as to better help Sasuke-kun..._

A warm, tender hand on her shoulder pulled the kunoichi out of her reverie. "Oh… Itachi," she breathed, choking back a sob that had risen up in her throat. _She was crying again_...

" _Sakura…_ I didn't… _hurt_ you, did I?" Through the darkness, she could hear concern in his voice, and it made her tears fall faster.

"No. Never. It's just - I wish you didn't have to die."

 _At that very moment, Uchiha Itachi did too._


	11. The Nine Tails

_[AN: Thanks as always for the feedback, follows, and likes! I'm going to hold off on going into the question of why Tsunade/Kakashi are still wary of Itachi even though they know about the massacre. For now, I'll just say that it's important to remember that Itachi is also an Akatsuki member and a missing nin. I had a lot of fun with this chapter; hopefully, you enjoy! As usual, content is rated M. Also, I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 11: The Nine Tails**

He woke early and rose silently, leaving the sleeping kunoichi tucked into the bed. _His bed._ She was such a lovely vision, curled up on her side, tousled pink hair thrown across the navy of his pillow, soft lips slightly parted. He hesitated. It was so tempting to stay, to have her wake up in his arms. But, no, he needed time to think, and he'd always found the morning best for clearing his head.

Slipping on a grey robe, the Uchiha padded to the study, letting himself into the familiar, wood-paneled room with its wide window overlooking the training field. While he bore the Akatsuki no love, he held a certain fondness for this particular space. The dark wooden bookcases lining the walls and cushy leather chairs reminded him of his father's library back in Konoha. When not being used for high-ranking clan meetings, he'd often read there as a child, seeking out every bit of knowledge about different jutsus, strategy, and of course, his clan and the Sharingan, that he could get his hands on.

He settled onto his usual spot on the carpeted floor, looking out over the snowy landscape, turning his thoughts inward, and slowly deepening his breath. All shinobi needed an outlet of some kind or another, and he considered himself fortunate that something as benign as meditation was his. This morning, however, he was finding it exceedingly difficult to empty his mind. In truth, it wasn't all that much of a surprise. Last night had been an emotional roller coaster, the abject low of retelling the lead-up to the massacre for the first time standing in stark contrast to what had followed… _making love to Sakura._ Because that was really what they had done, made love. While Itachi was no virgin, there had been a tenderness, an emotional connection between them that he'd never before experienced. He didn't love her - irreparably damaged goods, on borrowed time, and knowing that his brother needed her far more than he ever would, he'd never permit himself that pleasure. Still, he had grown to care deeply about this girl, despite his best attempts to remain unattached, and last night had only further reinforced that bond.

But what of her? While he couldn't quite read her mind, he'd been able to feel the warmth of her chakra, to see the alluring shine of those emerald green eyes, betraying an affection that had left his head spinning. If there could be any doubts remaining, the way she'd looked at him after, how she'd cried _for him.._. well, for Sasuke's sake and his own, he could only hope that all the old sayings about the singularity of first love held true. And, more practically speaking, he needed to get her back to Konoha before her heart was any further swayed from its destined course.

Itachi made his way over to the mahogany desk and scratched a note onto a piece of parchment. Moving to the window, he pushed it open, the crisp air burning his lungs. _It smelled like snow again._ With a quick bite of his left thumb, he summoned Yatagarasu onto the windowsill and gave the bird an affectionate stroke, savoring the silkiness of the feathers under his roughened fingertips. As he gazed into his summon's swirling eye, his own eyes blazed to life in response, delighting at the too rare connection of Sharingan to Sharingan. Interaction complete, the crow took off into the pale blue sky, Itachi's red eyes following the black blur until it faded from view all too soon. It was time to pay Jiraiya a visit.

* * *

"Sakura… _Sakura_ …"

A masculine voice was calling her gently, beckoning her away from the land of slumber. Long, pink eyelashes fluttered, green eyes blearily cracking open to take in the intruder.

Itachi stood in the doorway, back resting against the frame, arms crossed over his chest as he eyed her pensively. Sakura blinked slowly, adjusting to the light. His attire was casual, a dark, grey robe loosely covering his body, the deep V revealing a swatch of masculine chest that warmed her insides. On almost any other man, his current stance would have been referred to as a "slouch," but on _him_ , well, the word just didn't do him justice. Dark, tender eyes met her own, and Sakura felt her heart flutter beneath his gaze. "Good morning, Itachi-san," she murmured, voice soft and low from its night of disuse.

"Hn. Morning." His voice was as neutral as ever, yet her eyes could detect an upwards inflection at the corners of his mouth.

"Mmhmm…" Sakura yawned, her cheeks warming slightly under his gaze. Stretching her arms upwards, the bedspread fell away from her torso, fully exposing her bare chest. Well, now she was definitely flushed, although Itachi's bemused expression suggested that he didn't mind.

"Feeling all right?"

"Mm, yes," Sakura murmured, covering herself a bit with the bed sheet and sitting up against the pillows. She was feeling absolutely _wonderful_ , actually, or she had been until the action of rising made her acutely aware of certain muscles around her pelvis. She grimaced slightly. "Well… mostly."

"Ah." An odd expression flitted across Itachi's face, and his eyes lit up slightly in recognition, reminding the kunoichi of his hazy gaze from last night. _I suppose he_ is _still a man, even if he usually hides his bravado._ "Well, rest easy today, Sakura. I have further business to attend to, but thought I'd… ah… check in on you before I left."

The words were rather sweet, particularly coming from him, but Sakura frowned nonetheless. Now that she was more awake, her mind was starting to churn with questions (unsurprising, given the information _and_ experience he'd shared with her last night), and she'd also been hoping for another training session. Nothing too strenuous given how sore certain parts of her anatomy seemed to be, but a light genjutsu practice would have been nice. "Where are you going?"

"Hn. I have a meeting." She was curious, but given that he still remained affiliated with the Akatsuki, perhaps it was best _not_ to know. After all, the idea of Itachi going off to assassinate some poor outmatched shinobi for a pitiful bounty or, worse, chasing down a jinchuuriki was nauseating to even think about.

* * *

It required far more willpower than he cared to admit, but Itachi managed to tear himself away from Sakura soon after waking her. While he was looking forward to seeing the Toad Sannin a great deal - for the better part of a decade now, the man had been his sole link to not only Konoha but to his true self - the girl was a tempting distraction. _To lie in her arms again… to feel that delightful little body up against his... tasting those quivering pink lips, losing himself in deep green pools… Tch_. _Enough of that._ _He was starting to sound a bit like one of Jiraiya's books._ Not that he'd ever read them, of course; his limited knowledge of the series came courtesy of a certain ex-ANBU captain of his.

They'd agreed to rendezvous on another island about two hours' sail from Toki. The proximate location to an Akatsuki hideout had been a questionable choice given the identity of Jiraiya's apprentice, but the older man was ever the risk taker, and it wasn't like there was an ocean of other options. _Well, actually_ … there was, seeing as they _were_ in the Land of Water, but none of the other isles were convenient enough for Itachi to make it there-and-back in one day. He could trust Sakura - after last night, he was confident that she wouldn't be running away from him any time soon - and knew she could take care of herself against most inconveniences. Still, the very idea of leaving her at the lodge, alone, overnight caused a nervous prickle to travel up Itachi's spine.

He'd picked that particular hideout in part for its inconvenience and knew he could rely on Kisame's loyalty. The shark-man might tease him for keeping a kunoichi, but he'd never actually rat him out to Pein and would never interfere with a plan of his partner's, particularly if he thought the capture of a jinchuuriki was at stake. On the other hand, Itachi could never fully rule out the chance that Zetsu or, worse, Deidara and Tobi would decide that they fancied some crisp sea air. Generally speaking, he was most wary of the man who called himself Tobi; anyone who possessed an Uchiha eye like his was reason for pause. However, in this particular situation, Deidara might actually be the most dangerous thorn in his side. He was well aware of the blonde's taste for sweet young things, and Sakura was, at least at first glance, positively saccharine with her big eyes, full lips, candy-pink tresses, and petite curves. _Hn, yes, those curves… While she wasn't the most developed girl he'd ever seen by any stretch of the imagination, the sight of her bare torso earlier this morning had_ certainly _been interesting…_

 _Kami, his mind was wandering again!_

Shaking such nonsense from his head and banishing the Sharingan that had lustily ignited unbidden, Itachi made his way off of the ferry and down the pier, beginning to climb the steep hill beyond which the Toad Sannin would be waiting. _If all went according to the book, the risks they were taking would be more than worth it._ Now, he just had to figure out a way to get Jiraiya to let him near that damn jinchuuriki.

* * *

After a ten-minute climb and thirty minutes of travel through the canopy of a dense forest that left him alarmingly winded, Itachi reached the edge of the lake matching Jiraiya's description. It was rather picturesque; the intense blue of the midday sky turning the tranquil water azure. Settling onto the sandy bank for a rest, he found his mind drifting back to another lake, a lifetime ago in Konoha, where he and later his brother had learned the _Katon no Jutsu._ A small smile played across his lips at the thought. Despite everything that had been going on in his own life at that time - Shisui's then recent death, his clashes with his father, the increasingly demanding ANBU missions, his unrequited interest in Hatake, the pressures put on him by the High Council - the day that Sasuke mastered their clan's signature technique was one of his happiest memories.

Itachi dragged himself back to the present as he felt the Sannin's chakra signature approaching, slowly rising to his feet. He felt so _tired_ these days. Granted, Sakura had kept him up into the early hours of the morning, and he'd been traveling for a good few hours, but still. The bouts of weakness his condition had been causing lately were decidedly concerning.

"Uchiha Itachi! You're looking far better than when we last met." _Apparently, the physical exhaustion didn't show up too badly on his outward appearance; good to know._ Jiraiya's distinctive voice boomed out over the clearing, and Itachi found himself exceedingly grateful that he'd laid down the array of sound reduction and masking techniques that he usually deployed during their meetings, despite the added drain on his precious chakra stores. "I take it you're getting on with the kunoichi just fine, then?"

Itachi nodded his head in a respectful greeting. "Hn, anyone would look better outside of an ANBU cell." He intentionally ignored the question about Sakura. While he'd trust Jiraiya with his life, the Uchiha knew that his liaison with the kunoichi wouldn't go over well and could even prompt the older man to feel compelled to report back to Tsunade. And if any higher-ups in Konoha got wind of the fact that Sakura had been anything but an unwilling captive upon her return to the village… well, his rescue mission was certain to become compromised. Jiraiya was a whiz when it came to putting adversaries at ease and smoothing situations over, but Itachi doubted that even he would be able to convince the hotheaded Hokage to let her apprentice out of her sight, never mind on a potentially lethal mission, after being deflowered by a missing S-class nin. Yes, as pleased as he was that she'd trusted him with _that_ , he'd be taking it to his deathbed.

"You're quiet today, Itachi. That's unlike you." Jiraiya let out a laugh but sobered up a bit as his jest failed to get a response. "A lot on your mind? Things _are_ going well with the girl, hm?"

"Hai. She knows my intent, and she's agreed to assist me. You were quite right in your choice - she'll be an invaluable ally."

"Can't tell me I don't know how to pick a woman! But really, Tsunade has done a fine job with her. I wouldn't be surprised if apprentice passes master one of these days. And I'm not just talking about my protege. By the way, not to brag, but Naruto is turning into something quite special."

 _Indeed. Hopefully, he'd be finding that out for himself soon enough._ "Now, ah, for the drop off… can we say five days from now? Will that give you enough time to make the necessary preparations in Konoha?"

"Should be doable. Trying to get rid of her already, though? I know you're eager to see that brother of yours again, Itachi, but really, please tell me you've at least enjoyed the company?"

"Hn. She's pleasant." _If he only knew._

"Pleasant. That's high praise coming from you." The man laughed heartily at his own joke. "Well, I think that's all settled then, Uchiha-san. Any other updates?"

Itachi thought back to the last time they'd met. "Tobi captured the Three Tails; it was sealed last week. My partner is closing in on Four as we speak." Jiraiya nodded, and the Uchiha fell silent, considering how to best broach his next request. He'd seen how protective his companion tended to get over his apprentice and didn't relish the idea of angering him when so much was at stake. "Jiraiya-sama," Itachi began, carefully playing each word out in his head before uttering it, "I'd be interested in having a look at… at your jinchuuriki. If you'll permit me."

"My _jinchuuriki_? Ah, you mean _Naruto_." The Sannin's eyes narrowed aggressively. _It was truly impressive how the man could so quickly shift gears from buffoon to world-class shinobi._ "What do you want with my apprentice, Uchiha-san?" This time, there was no warmth in the formal address. "I didn't take you for the type of man who double-crosses an ally and would prefer _not_ to be proven wrong, you know. I thought you told me long ago that you had no interest in this jinchuuriki business."

Itachi felt his mouth go slightly dry with nerves but held his course. He believed his Mangekyo would given him the upper hand against the Sannin if it ever came to that but didn't relish the possibility of testing his theory, particularly given his current condition. "Jiraiya-sama, I assume you know that my clan has a history with the Kyuubi." The man inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "I wish to gauge my abilities… in that realm."

Jiraiya's face was stony, eyes locked on Itachi's. _He's a brave man to meet eyes with an Uchiha... or foolish._ Finally, the Sannin spoke, his voice hard, devoid of its usual, good-natured cadence. "I _see_. You want to test those eyes of yours." He sighed deeply, and Itachi thought he could detect a trace of sadness. "All Uchiha really are the same, aren't they? The Sharingan has driven your clan mad for power since the era of Madara, and it seems you're no different, Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi took the dig wordlessly, resisting the urge to activate his eyes, trap his companion in a genjutsu, and seek out the Kyuubi without Jiraiya's blessing. Wounded pride was, after all, a far better pill to swallow than severing ties with his only ally. _Well, one of his only allies… there was now Sakura, after all._ "I admit that I am curious to know my limits," he acquiesced, expression neutral. "Be that as it may, such knowledge may turn out to be advantageous. Full control of the Kyuubi, in battle, would be a vastly powerful asset, even more so than my Susanoo. The Akatsuki are powerful foes, Jiraiya-sama; you and I know this well. If we had someone whose eyes could harness the power of the Nine Tails on our side… I think _that_ would be worth knowing."

"So, how am I to believe that you won't use this knowledge to your own end, _Uchiha-san_? Perhaps discovering you possess such power will make that death wish of yours a bit less alluring, _hm_?"

Itachi paused, considering Jiraiya's question. He supposed he could admit that he didn't exactly have the option of choosing to extend his life, but they'd never broached the subject of his illness, and the Uchiha wanted to keep things that way. He'd been working with Jiraiya with almost a decade, but he knew better than most that alliances in the shinobi world could shift at a moment's notice. There was no need to admit to such weakness. Smirking slightly, his eyes shifted into Sharingan mode. "I swear… on my brother's, on _Sasuke's_ , life, Jiraiya. Is that acceptable to you?"

Jiraiya looked slightly taken aback but recovered quickly, although Itachi noticed with some pleasure that his dark eyes had dropped to his necklace. "Fine. I give you permission to speak with Naruto." He rubbed the center of his chest in vague discomfort. "Just try not to _antagonize_ the boy too much." With that, he led Itachi around the right side of the lake, back into a heavily wooded area. "Naruto's been training with a couple of summons," the Sannin explained in a low voice as they made their way through the underbrush.

"Toads?"

"Hai, what else? Certainly wasn't going to be snakes."

"Hn." _No, that was probably Sasuke's purview these days. Unfortunately._ "How about Sakura?"

"I believe Tsunade plans to have her sign with Katsuyu. Hasn't done it yet, though. I'm not really sure what she's waiting for given that the girl is already eighteen and practically a jonin these days, but that's Tsunade for you."

"Tch." Itachi was starting to pick up on a seeming trend in Sakura's training. Apparently, even the Hokage herself had fallen victim to the trap of holding the kunoichi back from advancing at the same speed as her teammates. While he understood that the Kyuubi likely granted the jinchuuriki certain advantages (and he _was_ the son of both an Uzumaki and the Yondaime Hokage) and Sasuke's genetics were, well, pretty damn powerful if he didn't say so himself, the girl was by no means a slouch. _Perhaps he'd look into forcing the Slug Princess's hand before returning the girl to Konoha..._

The conversation fell into a mostly comfortable lull. The man was more-or-less his old self now that the air was cleared, albeit more tense than usual: Despite his often buffoonish nature, it seemed he took his responsibility as the jinchuuriki's mentor quite seriously. He led Itachi through the forest for seven or eight minutes before coming to a stop, eyes hard. "Naruto's up ahead. He thinks I'm off womanizing in town. Which isn't a bad idea, actually, but I'll stick around until you're done."

Itachi nodded wordlessly and turned away from the Sannin. Before he could take a step, however, Jiraiya's warm hand clapped him on his shoulder, preventing any forward progress. "Let me know once you've… _finished_ with him," he hissed in the Uchiha's ear, voice heated. "Go easy on him. There's no need to mess with his head; he's a good boy. And, for the love of Kami and if you want to survive until your encounter with that wretched brother of yours, don't rile him up too much."

 _Strange. It sounded like Jiraiya was a bit_ scared _of his apprentice._

* * *

Itachi approached silently, chakra suppressed and ears attuned to the boisterous shouts and laughter ahead of him. While he'd only encountered the Nine Tails' jinchuuriki on a couple of occasions, he'd been struck both times by how _loud_ the boy had been, and he wasn't thinking of just the chakra presence. Had it not been for that chakra signature of his, the telltale whiskers on his cheeks, and Jiraiya's description, Itachi would never have believed that the loudmouthed blonde boy with a penchant for orange was host of the legendary Kurama or, frankly, a shinobi at all. _Hatake and Jiraiya had really had their work cut out for them…_

Activating his eyes, the Uchiha stepped out into the clearing, expression neutral and left arm draped through his partially buttoned robe, the portrait of feigned indifference. The boy was accompanied by two summons, orange and yellow toads who stood a bit taller than the blonde. His back was to Itachi, clearly oblivious to his presence. _It's a good thing Jiraiya keeps careful watch; getting this close to him is far too easy._ "Uzumaki Naruto. I was hoping to find you here."

The effect was immediate. The blonde spun around with a halfway decent reaction time, although the wide eyes and dropped jaw were decidedly un-shinobi-like. _Apparently, at least two of Hatake's three charges failed to grasp the concept of keeping one's emotions masked. Hopefully, Sasuke didn't come away from his genin training with the same lapse._ "Uchiha Itachi?" The boy whispered incredulously, a touch of fear in his blue eyes.

"Oy, Naruto, is this a friend of yours?" _Hn. Well, the yellow toad was an utter moron._

The Orange summon clapped a webbed hand over Yellow's mouth. "Quiet, Gamatatsu! See the red clouds on his robes? He's one of the Akatsuki."

Gamatatsu's eyes widened in shock. _It was absurd, but almost comical._ "Naruto, big brother… _what do we do?_ "

Naruto appeared to have recovered from his initial trepidation. Squaring his shoulders, he gave Itachi an aggressive grin. It was obviously meant to intimidate, but on such a jovial face and against him, it fell a bit flat. "We take him out!"

"Ah, but Naruto, he looks _strong_ ," the toad wailed. "Do you think we should get Jiraiya-sama?" _Tch, annoying._ All of a sudden, Itachi was exceedingly grateful that _his_ summons were crows. They might not talk, but that was vastly preferable to… whatever _this_ was.

Naruto, to his credit, didn't seem to mind the toad's idiocy. "Good idea!" _Or maybe he didn't notice._ "Gamatatsu, Gamakichi, go find Ero-Sennin. I'll hold the Uchiha off until then!"

 _Ero-Sennin, really? Was_ that _what Jiraiya allowed his young protege to call him? It was a wonder that the jinchuuriki possessed any discipline._

The toads disappeared with a couple of wet "pops!," leaving them alone. _Tch, smooth move, jinchuuriki. If I'd actually wanted to catch you, now there'd be no witnesses._ Fortunately for the fox-boy, Itachi had no intention of ever fulfilling that particular Akatsuki assignment. "I've come to talk, not to fight."

The boy looked somewhat taken aback. "Why would _you_ want to talk to _me_?"

Itachi blinked at the stupidity of the question. While he realized that he was little more than a stranger to the blonde, he could think of at least a dozen reasons, even based on just the little the boy did know. _Hopefully, Jiraiya wasn't thinking of his apprentice's intellect when he spoke so glowingly of his progress._ Well, at least Naruto knew better than to meet his eyes; he'd learned _something_ since their last encounter. _Not that it was going to help him resist._ "Ah, careful with your words. I never actually said I wanted to talk to _you_." He cocked his finger, and Naruto took the bait, quickly lulled by his genjutsu.

With the host subdued, Itachi's eyes transitioned into his Mangekyo Sharingan, a familiar burning sensation creeping into his eyes. Concentrating hard on the glassy-eyed boy before him, Itachi dove deep into his subconscious, eventually coming to land on his feet in an eerie, cavernous room that seemed to be gradually flooding, dimly lit from above by some unseen source. All was quiet except for the steady dripping of water, echoing through the space. That was, until a deep, booming voice called out to him. "What's this? _Another_ Uchiha? Your kind seems to be all over the place these days."

 _Another Uchiha? How strange..._ Spinning around to face the source, Itachi found himself before a set of gigantic golden bars that reminded him rather vividly of an ANBU holding cell. Gaze slowly making its way upwards, his blazing eyes took in a smallish seal about halfway up the gate. _And beyond that_... _ah, yes, his target…_ _Kurama himself_. The immense fox towered over him, red eyes and hungry smile full of malice and tails lashing angrily behind him. "Tell me, Uchiha, why are you here." It wasn't a question.

Itachi smirked despite the pain of his eyes, pleased that he had been able to establish contact with the Kyuubi so easily. "I came… well, to see if I _could_ find you." He crossed his arms over his chest, gazing into the eyes burning above him. The sheer power radiating off of the fox was intimidating, but as long as he was sealed behind those bars, there should be little he could do to Itachi, at least physically speaking. "Now, tell me, if you will. Who was the other Uchiha?" As far as he knew, there were only five living men with a Sharingan. Two weren't Uchihas to begin with, and the third lacked the Mangekyo required to even attempt to contact a Tailed Beast. _It appears that Tobi is an Uchiha after all… I wonder who..._

"Naruto referred to my visitor as Uchiha _Sasuke_."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Impossible. Sasuke's Sharingan hasn't morphed into a Mangekyo." _Yet._

"You _doubt_ me? _Disappointing._ I never claimed that he possessed your evolved form."

"But the Mangekyo is-"

"Required to access me and my powers. That was what Madara thought too. It seems you were both _wrong_. Although, Uchiha Sasuke may be a unique case. I suspect that Naruto has something to do with it."

"Hn, how so?"

"Much as I may not want to admit it, the boy and I have a certain bond. The fact that he shares a _special connection_ with this Uchiha boy - or thinks he does, at any rate - seems to link me, in a way, to him as well. Without the Mangekyo, his powers of control were, fortunately, weak. But if he were ever to obtain it… The boy's chakra was _dark_ , Uchiha. Far darker than your own. We could end up with another Madara on our hands."

Itachi wished to continue with the interrogation, but a sharp stab of pain behind his right eye told him that time was up. It was no matter. While brief, the conversation had been even more intriguing that he'd anticipated. The fact that _Sasuke_ had apparently reached the Kyuubi with just an ordinary Sharingan was truly striking. A swell of pride filled Itachi's chest at the thought, accompanied by a vague unease. If Sasuke accomplished this legendary feat _without_ the Mangekyo, what would he be capable of once he obtained the advanced version? Could he truly come to rival the Uchiha Madara, as Kurama himself predicted? The urgency of Itachi's mission, of the necessity of returning Sasuke to the Leaf as a force of good, before those remarkable eyes of his were lost to Orochimaru, and of lifting that wretched curse of hatred blackening his soul, was growing to have increasingly serious connotations.


	12. The Condition

_[AN: Happy New Year! Apologies for the longer-than-usual gap in posting; the holidays left me with limited time for writing. Thanks for the follows, favorites, and feedback in my absence - the interest is very flattering :)! The usual caveats apply. Story rated M, and I still do not own Naruto. Without further ado... I bring you the next chapter!]_

 **Chapter 12: The Condition**

Despite his reservations about leaving Sakura alone on Toki, Itachi found himself forced to spend the night in the tiny town of Furudono. His interview with Kurama had been brief; however, it had also been intensely draining on his already fragile chakra stores, a fact that he discovered soon after parting from the comatose jinchuuriki. Making it back down the mountain to the village had been enough of a struggle; he was in no condition for further travel that afternoon. Instead, eyes bleeding from overuse and lungs searing with each pained breath, Itachi checked himself into the cheapest room at the only inn, used his last remaining chakra to set up a couple of rudimentary traps on the door, and passed out on the hard mattress, too exhausted to even bother with the scratchy sheets.

He slept fitfully and awoke early the next morning, coughing up blood. _This was bad_. While he'd experienced this particular symptom twice in the past, his chakra was still too drained to control it, the medication he needed was currently a two-hour ferry ride and significant trek away in his bedroom on Toki, and Itachi doubted that a minor town like this one would possess a nin with medical knowledge. Even if it did, seeking out a shinobi in his current state was suicide for a rogue ninja like himself. He hadn't checked the Bingo Book lately, but based on his last perusal a year or two ago, the price on his head was astronomical.

He lay in bed for several hours, fruitlessly willing his mind to fall back asleep, his lungs to stop burning, and his head to cease pounding. _If only he could use genjutsu on himself._ Fortunately, by mid-morning, enough of his chakra had built back up that he was able to exert more control over his symptoms. Fighting to suppress his nausea, he dragged himself out of bed, across the suddenly vast-seeming room, and into the bathroom. The gaunt reflection staring back at him from the cracked mirror over the sink was rather off-putting - the greyish-tinted skin and darkly ringed eyes made him look like a dead man - but his mood improved somewhat after a hot shower. _He might just make it back to Sakura, after all_. Throwing back on yesterday's dirty clothes and his cloud-patterned robe, Itachi collected his few possessions and made for the tavern downstairs, where he managed to put away several pieces of well-buttered toast and a pot of chamomile tea with honey that did wonders for his nausea.

He'd overdone it yesterday, and his body _hated_ him for it; that much was clear. _But oh, had it been worth it._ To know what his own eyes were capable of was, of course, a prize in itself. Ever since he'd first read Uchiha Madara's book as a child, he'd dreamed about those strange "legendary powers" described in the final section, wondering if he'd ever be strong enough to converse with and control a Tailed Beast. Of even more potential value, however, was the information that Kurama had revealed about his little brother. He'd always suspected that his brother could one day be great, but to hear the Kyuubi himself speak so highly of Sasuke's potential was _everything_. It was the ultimate validation for the path upon which Itachi had set himself that bloody night over a decade ago and re-instilled his intent to face his _otouto_ head-on, releasing him of the heavy burden of revenge that had been so unfairly foisted on his shoulders. Itachi himself would die, as had always been his fate, but Sasuke would live and through that life and those eyes of his... _he had the capacity to not only restore the Uchiha name and clan but, far more importantly, help save Konoha._

* * *

Sakura's first day alone had been fine, if a touch dull. After Itachi left, she dozed in his bed for a few hours, enjoying the warmth of the sheets against her bare skin and the way the smell of _him_ enveloped her body, the hazy memories of last night causing a confusing mix of pleasure, sorrow, and lust. Around midday, she got up, dressed, made herself a sandwich in the kitchen, grabbed the books he'd left for her, and returned to his bedroom, settling in for an afternoon of reading.

She'd been disappointed to discover that she'd almost finished _Secrets_. There was only one section left, "Legends and Lore," which seemed to be a mix of fact and fancy. She supposed that the material on the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was true. Itachi had said as much last night, and as one of only three remaining Sharingan users, he ought to know. The other aspects covered by the chapter, though, _had_ to be pure fantasy. There was absolutely no way that the Sharingan could control Tailed Beasts. Having recently had the misfortune of witnessing the partial form of the Nine Tails in action during Naruto's ill-advised fight with Orochimaru, Sakura couldn't envision _anyone_ harnessing that power, even with a potent Sharingan. Yamato's abilities to subdue it were one thing, but channeling the Kyuubi's chakra towards one's own end was _quite_ another. As for the bit about the Rinnegan, well, there were lots of Kekkei Genkai out there, but she was finding it exceedingly difficult to conceptualize an ability that made Itachi's eyes seem like child's play.

Setting aside _Secrets_ with a sigh, Sakura turned her attention to the encyclopedia of poisons, which ended up carrying her though the rest of the afternoon and evening. As the room darkened with the coming of night, she found her mind drifting away from the discussion of the twelve different antidotes that could be made with the Hashimoto cactus of Suna and towards Itachi's return. It was getting a bit lonely in the lodge, even with the med-nin textbook, and she'd hadn't really had much of a chance to interact with him since they'd _been intimate_.

A pleasant shiver went up Sakura's spine at that thought. Physically speaking, being with Itachi had been, for lack of a better word, amazing. The way her body had burned under the heated gaze of his ruby red eyes as he'd gently introduced her to the wonders of sex… the way he'd touched her, warm hands roughened from a lifetime of training with kunai igniting her flesh, making her thirst for _more_ … the way he'd made her moan, each slow, steady thrust of his hips drawing out her ecstasy… and finally, the way he'd murmured _her name_ at his release, lips slightly parted with pleasure, eyes searing into her soul. _Kami, it had been perfect_...

 _Well, almost._ Her mind told a rather different story, reminding her of the reality of the situation, and it was a harsh one. She felt a bit as if she were steadily being torn in two. On the one hand, she found herself wishing to stop Itachi from what could only be called a suicide mission. While he might have planned it and wished it, he didn't _deserve_ the fate he'd woven for himself, and her heart broke at the idea of losing him. _And yet_ … _if it could bring Sasuke back… then what?_

She could feel the hot tears gathering in her eyes as her thoughts turned to her former teammate. Since Sasuke's departure, a part of her had resented him for his actions: for rejecting her, their team, their village, and their values. She'd still loved him, but it had been a complicated, pained sort of love, the kind that came from loving someone whom she had been growing to fear was beyond saving. But now that she knew everything - what he went through as a child, the fear, the lies, the anger that had driven him to Orochimaru - she found herself heart filled with a new emotion, a longing to turn him from the destructive course he was on, to ease his suffering in whatever way she could. For she realized now that he had never had a choice in the matter: He was doomed to his hateful path of revenge the moment that the High Council, the High Council of _their_ village, had commanded his older brother to commit massacre. The words of that sullen, dark-haired boy from five years ago suddenly made so much sense: " _I hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it reality. I will restore my clan… and kill a certain man."_ At the time, his confession had seemed so dark, but now… she understood _._ How could one blame him? From Sasuke's perspective, Itachi took away everything, betraying him to his very core and leaving him, a mere child, to somehow pick up the pieces and carry on alone. It was cruel… and it was all her village's fault. For the first time in her life, Sakura found herself _ashamed_ to be a Konoha kunoichi.

But that was enough of _that_ for the time being. She was growing tired and could feel her mind beginning to lose its focus. Whatever happened, she couldn't let Itachi carry out his plan. While Sasuke would always be first in her heart, she'd found herself over these past two weeks coming to care deeply for his older brother too. _Surely, there was another way, a middle path?_ Slowly succumbing to slumber, a wild, half-formed thought danced through her head. _What if... instead of accepting death, Itachi told Sasuke the truth?_

* * *

The kunoichi was surprised upon waking the next morning to find that Itachi remained absent. While he hadn't explicitly said anything to her about his plans, she'd assumed that he'd return by dawn. He always had before. _Did something happen?_ She knew that Uchiha Itachi could take care of himself, probably better than just about anyone else on the planet, and yet, she felt a certain unease creeping into her stomach. For a time, she managed to distract herself somewhat with another six chapters of _A Thousand Poisons_ , although her concerns grew with each flip of the page. _Where could he be? What could be keeping him?_ And, most selfishly, _what would happen to_ her _if he didn't come back?_ For the fact remained that she was currently occupying an Akatsuki hideout. _If another member showed up at the door and found her there…_ _Kami, best not to think of that!_

It was around three or four in the afternoon, judging from the shadows in the bedroom, when Sakura finally sensed Itachi approaching the lodge. Or, at least, she thought it was him. The chakra signature was his, but it was far weaker than usual. While she obviously had yet to lay eyes on the Uchiha, her years of med-nin training told her that anyone with chakra like _that_ was injured, likely severely. Shifting into medic mode, Sakura set aside her book, hopped off the bed, and dashed into the bathroom to review the Akatsuki's stores of medical supplies. Focused green eyes took in the bottles, antiseptics, and bandages. The cabinet was a bit of a mess, but she appeared to have plenty to work with. Grabbing an antibiotic cream, an anti-inflammatory and a few other medications for pain and fever, a roll of bandages, and a bottle of disinfectant, Sakura made for the front door as she felt his chakra approaching.

As she entered the front hall, the large oak door swung open, and the Uchiha entered. Her eyes immediately flicked up and down his body in a well-trained assessment. _Movement slower than usual… at minimum, that suggests moderate physical pain. No trauma or external injuries, no bleeding, all limbs accounted for… no signs of conflict. Breath seems a bit labored, just physical exertion? Additional examination required to confirm. Kami, he's handsome... Haruno Sakura! He is your_ patient _! Right, right… pale, sweaty face; dark-rimmed, cloudy eyes; damp hair… possible symptoms of fever brought on by chakra exhaustion? Yes, chakra levels are dangerously low but seem stable. Diagnosis seems likely, but additional examination recommended as a precaution. Hm… those eyes of his don't look good - the chakra flow feels_ terrible _\- probably par for the course given that self-destructive Kekkei Genkai of his…_

"Might I be of some assistance, Haruno-san?" Itachi had evidently noticed that he was being evaluated.

 _How good of him to ask._ Adopting that cheery clinical tone that she had crafted over a half-decade of service in Konoha Hospital, Sakura gave him a smile. "Yes, Itachi-san. If you'll please proceed to your room, I'd like to perform a full physical assess -"

"Tch. That is absolutely out of the question."

He coughed, grimacing slightly in evident discomfort, and Sakura felt something snap inside her. _He was just like Kaka-sensei, refusing her treatments. These men! They couldn't deign to accept assistance from anyone! Didn't they understand that this was her role in life? That she had chosen to become a medic to better care for those she held dear?_ "On the contrary, _I-ta-chi-san_ , I think you'll find that you don't have much of a choice in the matter," Sakura informed him harshly, shifting into the mode she reserved for her most recalcitrant patients. "You are _unwell_ , and, as a medic, it is my sworn duty to _treat_ you."

He coughed again before shooting her a glower deeply reminiscent of his younger brother. "I'm fine," he wheezed, suppressing another cough.

"You are _not_ fine. Please, Itachi, I insist." She took a step towards him, and his Sharingan blazed to life. Injured or not, he was still a formidable foe.

They stood at an impasse for several minutes, Itachi eyeing her like a hawk, Sakura returning his stare despite the obvious threat that it posed. _It would be so easy for him to subdue her_. Then, his eyes shifted back to black, and his shoulders dropped. _Was this… defeat?_ "Fine," he said blankly, still holding her gaze. "You may _examine_ me. But no probing with that chakra of yours. Just treat my symptoms."

 _What a strange request. Well, at least he was letting her help him._

* * *

Itachi lay stiffly on his bed, trying to ignore the luminous green eyes hovering over him. The air of the room felt frigid against his bare chest, causing him to shiver slightly. "Are you cold?" The kunoichi asked softly, reaching down and drawing the sheets so that they covered a bit more of his torso. He flinched slightly at the touch of her soft, warm hands, suddenly reminded of their night together. Sakura, however, was all business. "It's a side effect of the chakra exhaustion. What were you _doing_ yesterday?"

"Tch. Meeting with someone." She raised an eyebrow in disbelief, which was fair. After all, a simple conversation didn't usually drain an S-class shinobi of his chakra and leave him weak and feverish. _Of course, she didn't know about Kurama or his illness, and he wasn't about to fill her in._ "It was a long day," he added unhelpfully.

"I can see that." She placed her hands over his lungs, and they began to glow mint green. _Her color, the color of a healer._ The sensation of her chakra flooding into him was rather pleasant, but he remained on edge. He trusted her, mostly, but he _didn't_ trust that she was going to abide by his request not to seek out the underlying cause of his discomfort. After almost two weeks of close contact, he knew how persistent she could be.

Sure enough, after five or six minutes of treatment, he could feel her beginning to move deeper into the tissue. " _Sakura_ ," he growled in warning.

The kunoichi jumped as if bitten, hands flying away from his chest as her cheeks flushed enticingly. " _Oh!_ Sorry, Itachi-san. There's just… so much _damage_..." Her eyes were wide in what he suspected was fear.

"Don't worry about it," he said dismissively. "Do you think you could do anything for my head? It aches." _It was no lie, but it was also an ideal distraction._ "Just, ah, don't touch the eyes…"

"Hai…" she said doubtfully, still clearly thinking about his lungs. Nevertheless, after a moment or two of hesitation, she heeded his request, bringing her hands up to his temples and gently starting the treatment. Itachi shut his eyes in pleasure, savoring the way her chakra caressed away the pounding sensation in his head. _Now_ this _was excellent._ It had been so long since he'd been healed by a proper shinobi medic, and he'd forgotten how good it could feel. He suspected that Sakura herself had a lot to do with it; her chakra almost seemed to have a sweet, feminine quality as it flooded his own depleted system comfortingly.

He was starting to drift to sleep though, and he couldn't have that. After all, she might take the opportunity to examine his lungs again. Rousing himself from his entranced state, Itachi gazed up at the kunoichi through slightly parted lashes, taking in those lovely green eyes and soft pink tresses. "Tomorrow… perhaps we could work more on your genjutsu." He murmured.

She smiled sweetly, the picture of perfect innocence. "I'd like that."

"Before you return to Konoha, we should also work on your speed. It would complement your chakra-enhanced strength nicely. And that anger of yours. It's a lot to cover over just a few days, but hopefully you'll be able to pick up a thing or two." There was also the matter of the summons… but he didn't want to broach that quite yet.

The chakra flow into his temples had stopped. Fully opening his eyes, he found Sakura staring at him, mouth slightly rounded in evident surprise. "A few days?" She asked.

"Hn. You'll be going back to Konoha soon."

"Oh." _Oh?_ He'd expected her to be a bit more enthusiastic about returning home. He raised an eyebrow at her solemn face in surprise. "I'm sorry, it's just, well, I'm not sure I _want_ to go home anymore."

* * *

 _He was taking her home._ When she'd first been kidnapped, Sakura had dreamed of returning to Konoha: It was all that had kept her going those first few days. How things had changed. After everything that had happened over the past couple of weeks, everything she'd learned, her village no longer held that same allure. _Could she ever love Konoha again? Certainly never with the same wide-eyed innocence..._

Looking down at the dark, tired eyes of the man she'd been treating, Sakura licked her lips nervously. At that moment, in his chakra-depleted state, he seemed so _weak_. While she knew that he should be much better after a good night of sleep, the idea of leaving him was almost physically painful. "Itachi-san," she murmured softly, "Don't you think it would be better if I stayed here, with you? Until we retrieve Sasuke? What will you do if something like _this_ happens again? You could barely _walk_ …""

The Uchiha gave her a sleepy smirk. "Because I pushed myself to come back to you too soon. I know how to take care of myself, Sakura. This isn't the first time I've been… unwell."

She frowned at that statement. _He's been like this before?_ While chakra exhaustion was an extremely common malady in the shinobi world, experiencing it on a chronic basis was not a good sign and hinted at the possibility of some sort of underlying condition. _Perhaps it was because of the Sharingan?_ The book had said that the Sharingan increased the risk of chakra depletion, but it hadn't said anything about worsening the severity of the side effects. _Could there be more going on?_ To know for sure, she'd need to run some tests, and her patient hadn't exactly been enthusiastic about her prodding.

Taking advantage of her silence, Itachi continued laying out his, as usual, well-conceived argument. "As pleasurable as it would be, keeping you with me for the next couple of months is far too risky - my _preoccupation_ over the last two weeks has already attracted some, _ah_ , unwanted attention amongst the Akatsuki. The safest, most useful place for you right now is Konoha. I need you to be my eyes and ears in the village, Sakura. Can you do that for me?"

"I… suppose." She didn't like the idea of returning, but when he put it that way, she could see his point. Itachi was one of the most powerful shinobi she'd ever met, but she'd seen from her run-in with Sasori that this was likely a requirement of Akatsuki membership. As much as she wished it, she supposed that he couldn't just cut his ties with the organization and hope to stay alive. "But, when you go to face Sasuke, how am I to just slip away and join you?"

"Ah, good question. There will be no _slipping_. You'll be assigned to the recovery of Sasuke as a regular team mission. If all goes well, you'll arrive in time to harvest my eyes and bring my brother back before anyone else can lay a hand on him."

 _How was he going to pull_ that _off?_ Itachi's smirk broadened at her frank bewilderment. "Surely, you didn't expect me to _abandon_ my brother when I fled ten years ago? I have another contact in Konoha, close to the Hokage, who's been keeping an eye on Sasuke, your team, and other matters in the village for me. My contact will ensure that Tsunade-sama is well-appraised of the location and timing of our reunion."

"But how can you guarantee that Team Kakashi-"

"I know how a shinobi's mind works, Sakura. There's a certain poetry about reclaiming one's former teammate that your mistress will find irresistible. Who but Team Kakashi for the mission? Moreover, between you and the jinchuuriki, not to mention Hatake himself, I imagine that Tsunade would be hard pressed to deny your team the opportunity."

 _Well, he certainly knows a lot about the dynamics of our team._ Sakura knew well that Naruto would never allow her _Shishou_ to send out a search-and-rescue platoon for Sasuke-kun without the two of them on board. She was also exceedingly curious about this _second_ Konoha contact and that fact that he or she had apparently been spying on _all_ of them for years, though she knew better than to ask for the name. _Someone close to Tsunade… could it be Shizune?_ While she loved the dark-haired woman like a sister, her nose wrinkled in distaste at the thought of Itachi confiding in another kunoichi despite herself. "I suppose you're right." _It was all settled so neatly, as Uchiha Itachi's plans always tended to be. Well, except for her emotions._

* * *

The next few days on Toki flew by. Itachi had recovered remarkably well from his case of chakra exhaustion, if her somewhat tentative diagnosis was in fact accurate, and the pair spent their time absorbed with training by day and lovemaking at night. _Why did it have to end?_

Sakura was eternally grateful for the years of training under her mistress, and her genin sessions with Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke, while often lacking a personalized touch, had been informative enough and extremely entertaining. That being said, she couldn't help but find working with Uchiha Itachi to be the most illuminating experience of her professional life to date. In addition to further helping her develop her genjutsu, Itachi had stayed true to his word and proffered a number of practical tips on improving her speed and mental state while in combat. She was never going to be anywhere close to as fast or as even-keel as he, but she'd progressed tremendously. She still dreaded her return to Konoha, but she was rather looking forward to testing her new skills on the battlefield, in addition to showing off to Kaka-sensei, Sai, Naruto, and her _Shishou_.

As for their evenings together, well, the kunoichi had never known that it was possible to become addicted to _someone_. They'd slept together the past three nights, and each occasion built on the previous session, leaving her craving more. She'd known that Uchiha Itachi was an extremely handsome man and that he possessed masterful control of his own body, but she hadn't realized what he could do to _hers_. Even now, as she sat by the fire with her admittedly dry encyclopedia of poisons, she felt her cheeks warm at the memory of the way he'd had her begging for release during last night's session, driving her perilously close to orgasm and then pulling back just before she reached the point of no return, a smirk of satisfaction on his devastatingly attractive face each time. When he'd finally let her come after five or six rounds of this delightful torture (she'd lost count after episode four), it had been utter ecstasy, and she'd found herself screaming, all natural bashfulness and everything but his name forgotten.

Shifting her attention back to her present circumstances, Sakura set aside her abandoned book, staring into the fire as she steeled herself for what promised to be a difficult conversation. The Uchiha had gone off to shower following their latest spar, and she knew he'd be seeking her out shortly. That morning, he'd mentioned that this would be their last day on Toki and that he had some final information regarding their rescue mission to review. While she'd been putting it off for days, she had some news to get off of her chest as well, and she suspected that the task wasn't going to be pleasant. For her resolve had strengthened: There was no way she could idly stand by while he allowed his brother to murder him. Even if it brought Sasuke back to Konoha and quenched his misdirected desire for revenge, Itachi's life was simply too high a cost.

* * *

Itachi quietly entered the den, giving Sakura a small nod of recognition that she returned with a weak smile, and settled into a plush armchair to the left of the hearth, savoring the warmth of the fire on his tired muscles. From his perch, he had an excellent view of the kunoichi, currently curled up under a russet-colored throw and absentmindedly playing with a stray thread. She looked rather glum, but that was probably to be expected. After all, he couldn't claim to be feeling much better about her upcoming departure, even if he hid it better than her.

They sat in silence for several minutes, the only noise in the room coming from the crackling fire. Then, Sakura raised her chin, allowing those sad green eyes of hers to meet his own. "You wanted to speak with me, Itachi-san?"

He nodded. _Might as well get on with business, then._ "We'll be returning to the mainland early tomorrow morning, which is where the tracker team from Konoha will intercept us. As I'm sure you'll agree, once you've returned to the village, it would be best to try to keep conversations about what has transpired… _between us_ to a minimum."

"How am I supposed to do that?" The girl asked, voice deadened, although Itachi could hear the vague anger behind her tone. "They're going to want details. I can't _lie_ , Itachi. I may not like it very much right now, but Konoha is still my village."

"Tch, you won't lie… you'll simply stay silent." Itachi's eyes darkened at the memory of a hostage situation involving a Leaf kunoichi that he'd overseen during his time in ANBU. "There's a lot of sympathy in the village for young women who've been kidnapped, Sakura. They won't press you. Particularly given your status as the Hokage's apprentice."

He watched her carefully as she weighed his words, but her pale, round face remained impassive. "I suppose that's probably true. Then what?"

 _She's taking it all rather well, so far. That's good._ "Then, you'll stay in position until you receive your assignment from Tsunade-sama."

Green eyes narrowed slightly, growing hard and angry. _Perhaps this wasn't going to go so smoothly after all._ " _I see._ Let me see if understand how this is supposed to work. I just hang out in the village until _Shishou_ assigns our team the mission to pursue Sasuke, hm? And then I show up and watch you _die_? And then I _mutilate_ your corpse to take your eyes? And I pretend that none of _this_ , this _thing_ between us ever happened? And I _lie_ to Sasuke about you for the rest of my life? And I let the despicable High Council that ruined everything - your life, your clan, Sasuke's childhood - continue their reign over _my_ village? Is _that_ what you expect of me, _Uchiha Itachi_?" As she cycled through the questions, Sakura's voice had picked up a decidedly shrill quality, growing in tenor until she practically shouted her final query.

Despite his frustrations with the girl for being so emotional about the necessities the situation required, the Uchiha found himself beset by a rather painful stab of guilt. _I really should have kept my hands to myself; this would have been a lot easier if she didn't care so damn much._ But, of course, he'd been weak, consumed by those glorious green eyes, that willing little body, the compassion she'd shown. "Well then, do you have a different idea?"

Itachi was floored to find himself on the receiving end of a smile. After all, the question was supposed to have been rhetorical. _T_ _his kunoichi never ceases to surprise._ "Hai. Itachi, you need to tell Sasuke-kun the truth. Tell him everything… tell him what you told me." Her voice was soft and feminine now, as if trying to seduce his mind with her proposition.

 _Hn, tell Sasuke the truth..._ Itachi had wished this frequently over the course of his decade-long exile from the Leaf. It was a decidedly alluring prospect, permitting him to not only vindicate himself in the eyes of his dear brother but to live out the rest of his life in relative peace, at least until his illness claimed him. However, he'd long ago dismissed the idea as impossibility. "I couldn't do that," Itachi admitted, admiring the hopeful light in her eyes. _It was going to hurt to extinguish it_. "If I told my brother the truth… he'd try to destroy Konoha." The kunoichi opened her mouth, doubtless to argue, but Itachi cut her off. " _Think_ , Sakura. Ever since you learned the details behind the massacre, you've expressed serious reservations about returning to Konoha. For Sasuke, whatever anger you're feeling towards the village would be magnified a hundredfold. The Uchiha are his clan, and he'll demand vengeance in the same way he's made it his life goal to destroy me." _And if he truly possesses the power to control the Kyuubi, he'll have that capacity._

Itachi fell silent. He could almost see the cogs turning as she shifted from defiance to defeated acceptance, the disappointment in her now dark eyes heightening his guilt. "There is one, small thing I could do. I understand that you have yet to sign a summoning contract. I don't suppose… you'd be interested in crows? They do make for excellent communicators..."


	13. The Recovery

_[AN: Thanks again for the comments, favorites, and follows! It's so nice to see that people are reading and interested! This chapter ended up being a touch longer than usual (probably because of the influx of characters); I hope you enjoy the assorted interactions! The usual warnings apply: This story is rated M, and I still do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 13. The Recovery**

The Godaime Hokage was at her wits end: It had now been a solid two weeks since the Uchiha kidnapped Sakura from Konoha at the dead of night. The last update had been Team Kurenai's almost a week ago, and it had been an exceedingly uncomfortable experience for all involved. The moment Kakashi had asked her for a one-on-one interview, she'd known that _something_ had happened. However, not even the pained look in the Copy Ninja's eyes as the rest of the team exited the office had prepared her for what he had to say. His words, those simple, soul-crushing, hateful words, said in a tone of feigned disinterest that couldn't quite mask the man's obvious sorrow, echoed through her head even now. " _It appears that Sakura-chan and the Uchiha have become_ intimate _."_ Needless to say, copious quantities of sake had been downed that night in a futile effort to drown out the reality of Sakura's fate. _Kami forgive her, she had so utterly failed her apprentice._

She was sitting behind her desk, a massive stack of C- and D-rank mission reports in front of her as usual, the light of the mid-morning sun failing to cheer her dejected frame of mind. But there was work to be done, for life in the village never stopped. Honey eyes glazed over as she half-read a particularly insipid account of an escort assignment to Tea Country covered by Team Ebisu. Apparently, young Konohamaru had attempted to use that dratted _Oiroke no Jutsu_ on their seventy-six-year-old client "to pass the time," almost giving the poor man a heart attack. _At least the old merchant had had a sense of humor and hadn't filed an official harassment complaint. This latest batch of genin was going to be the death of her, no thanks to Naruto's damned influence._

A light tapping alerted Tsunade to the fact that she had company. Rising from behind her desk with a sigh, the blonde moved over to the window, where her old teammate peered back, the lack of the usual crinkle around his eyes telling her that he was there on serious business. While he could piss her off like no other, it was admittedly a relief to see Jiraiya. He hadn't been back in Konoha since Sakura's capture, and she welcomed the friendly face. She threw open the window, and the Toad Sannin entered, stepping off of Gamabunta's massive head. "Jiraiya, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Jiraiya shrugged in feigned nonchalance as Tsunade fastened the window latch behind him. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd see how Konoha's most beautiful Hokage was faring."

Her lips twitched in amusement despite the stress she was under. _He always knows just was to say, the rogue._ She waved her hands at him dismissively; as much as she could use a distraction, this was no time for games. "Spare me the flattery, Jiraiya, I'm not in the mood today. I assume you heard about _Sakura_?"

Jiraiya nodded, face turning grim. Truly, the network of informants that her fellow Sannin had assembled around himself over the decades never failed to impress. He frequently seemed more aware of happenings in Konoha that _she_ , and he was a major source for information on most of the other Hidden Villages, not to mention her go-to for all things Orochimaru _and_ Akatsuki. _Well then, if he_ had _heard, perhaps he'd have news…?_ Tsunade's heart beat rapidly in her chest in anticipation.

Dark, wild eyes met her own. _That expression. How strange._ She'd always been able to read her teammate's emotions like a book, and there could be no mistaking it _. Why does he look... apologetic?_ Then Toad Sannin began to speak, and Tsunade's thoughts refocused on his words. "I actually wanted to have a word with you about Sakura, Tsunade. I recently spoke with my Akatsuki spy. He assured me that the girl is unharmed… she's currently being held by Uchiha Itachi in the Land of Water. Last my informant had heard, they were staying in an old Akatsuki compound on one of the more remote isles. He couldn't be sure of _which_ one, but their ferry launched from Iwasaki, so it has to be fairly close by. I wasn't able to learn anything regarding possible motives, but you'll be relieved to know that the Uchiha has been keeping her isolated from the rest of the organization. It took even my man well over a week to find out about the girl..."

The woman's heart leapt into her throat at the news. _Damn, were the people that Jiraiya had working for him good._ He'd always refused to name names when pressed, but they always seemed to come through, particularly that poor bastard he had tailing the Akatsuki. As for Sakura, well, she took serious issue with his claim that her apprentice was unharmed - apparently, the man hadn't heard _everything_ \- but a younger, less wise Tsunade would have kissed him soundly for the quality of the update. _But no, she'd learned long ago that it was best not to give him any ideas_. "I'll have Kakashi and a Chunin tracking squad deploy to the Iwasaki area immediately. Did Naruto come back with you? Does he know about Sakura's disappearance? I hate to rile the boy up, but we should probably loop him in..."

Jiraiya scratched the back of his neck somewhat guiltily. "Ah, yes, I suppose I neglected to mention. Naruto's at Mount Myoboku, actually. Sage Mode training."

" _Really?_ " She had full confidence that Naruto would one day become a powerful shinobi, but this was certainly stunning news. _Was the boy truly prepared for such an intense process? And why hadn't_ she _been consulted?_

Tsunade frowned, ready to lecture the man before her for his recklessness for what had to be the millionth time, but he beat her to it. "Look, Naruto's eighteen now, and, as I'm sure you remember, he's been able to use the _Rasengan_ since he was _twelve_. Which reminds me, when are you going to get around to working with _your_ apprentice on some of your more advanced jutsus? I'd say she's ready."

Tsunade felt her jaw clench in irritation at the small smirk that played over her companion's face. Over the last year or so, Jiraiya had shown an increased amount of interest in Sakura's development, nagging her to no end about the girl's progression. While _he_ pushed his protege to the extreme, and she shuddered to think about what Orochimaru was doing to the Uchiha brat, Tsunade preferred a more methodical, disciplined approach with her charge. Call her old fashioned, but there was a lot that could be learned from patience, persistence, and healthy doses of theory. "We'll get to all that _in time_ , Jiraiya. For the record, I've had her storing up chakra for the _Byakugou_ for over two and a half years now, but the technique takes time to manifest. But really, since when have you cared a hoot about Sakura's progress? Or is this some jab about my age? I intend to live a good deal longer, you know."

"Hm… well, how about Katsuyu, then? I thought you planned on having her sign that summons contract _months_ ago."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I tell you, we'll get to it! The hospital has been busy, and she's had plenty else to distract her. What's the rush? Sakura is doing perfectly well." _Or at least, she had been doing well until her kidnapping._ She swallowed uncomfortably and fixed Jiraiya with one of her better glares, hoping to intimidate him into silence. Talking about Sakura's progress right now was one of the last things she wanted to be doing.

To his credit, Jiraiya seemed to take the hint. Giving her shoulder a reassuring pat, he made his way back over to the window, unlatched it, and stepped back onto the orange toad's head. "I suppose I'll let you get to assigning that mission, then. Try not to worry yourself _too_ much about the girl, Tsunade. She'll be back in Konoha in one piece before you know it."'

 _The cheek!_ It was a good thing he hadn't given any sign of knowing some of the more _unsavory_ details of what had allegedly transpired between Sakura and the Uchiha. If he had, the Toad Sannin would have found himself _flying_ out of her window for that statement.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi had been having what he usually would have considered a pleasant day. He woke up late, around nine, allowed himself a leisurely bath, cooked himself a nice rice and egg brunch, and then settled onto the old, squishy couch in the sitting area of his slightly stuffy one-bedroom apartment for some light reading and digestion. Unfortunately for the Copy Ninja, and for the first time in a _long_ time, he was finding it extremely difficult to push his last mission out of his head.

Sakura's kidnapping had hit extremely close to home. _And, Kami, did it hurt._ Despite his best efforts to maintain a certain amount of personal and professional distance, the girl had become dear to him in the six plus years they'd known each other, reminding him, at times like now rather startlingly, of Rin. And of course, if Sakura's disappearance hadn't been painful enough, the evidence that Kiba had stumbled upon, that the Uchiha bastard was _using_ her body and _he_ could do nothing to stop it was, well, _revolting_...

Since his return from the Land of Stone, Kakashi had found himself going through an all too familiar cycle that a mental health counselor he'd been forced to see in his youth had neatly labelled "the five stage of grief." _But, of course, there was nothing tidy about it,_ he thought blackly. First, had come denial… Sakura was just on a mission of her own or, even better, too busy with triple shifts at the hospital to see anyone. Next, the anger, with his former ANBU partner, for sinking so low, but also with himself for failing to protect her. It was irrational, and he knew it, but he couldn't help feel somewhat responsible as her ex-sensei and the last denizen of the Leaf to see her before her disappearance. He should have done something, should have noticed something, shouldn't have left her alone that night, should have prepared her better...

As for today, well, it appeared that he'd moved onto the _lovely_ bargaining stage. _If I get her back, I'll be the sensei I never was. I'll teach her everything she always wanted to know. We'll spar every few days... I'll teach her genjutsu. I'll tell her how much I care, give her the support she needs, kiss away the tears..._ For, despite his best efforts, his brain was still refusing to let go of a certain, decidedly unhealthy attraction towards his pink-haired ex-student. He'd been aware that she'd been growing into a pretty little thing prior to her disappearance, but the reality of her liaison with the Uchiha had made quite the impression on his carnal side, disrupting his already tortured sleep with decidedly not former-sensei-appropriate dreams. _Grief_ and _jealousy, it was a crippling combination._

Kakashi's morose reverie was interrupted by a sudden knock. Dragging himself off of the couch and ensuring that his mask was firmly in place, he took the six steps necessary to make it to the threshold of his apartment and heaved the door open to find himself confronted by the pale face and dark eyes of Shizune. "Tsunade-sama would like to see you in her office, Kakashi-san," the woman said politely, holding out an all-too-familiar mission scroll. She glanced up and down the empty hall before leaning in close, giving him a whiff of lavender as her eyes narrowed conspiratorially. "It's about Sakura."

 _Ah, what was this new devilry?_ "Give me fifteen minutes." And despite his reputation for lateness, he meant it.

* * *

An hour after his briefing, Kakashi found himself standing at the gates of Konoha with a somewhat motley team: Sai, benevolently disinterested as ever; Kiba, raring to go aboard Akamaru; and an exceedingly pale Ino, squinting slightly under the midday sunshine.

The decision to take along Ino had been controversial. While Kakashi had advocated for including Shino or Hinata for tracking purposes, Tsunade had insisted on the Yamanaka, pointing out her close relationship with Sakura and her need to get back out there after Asuma's untimely death. " _Sakura will need all the support she can get, Kakashi. I know you and Sai are her teammates, but, let's face it, neither of you are exactly the warm and fuzzy type, and having a female friend there is going to be essential given all that has transpired. They'll help each other..."_ Kakashi couldn't deny that Tsunade had a point. He was by no means a prude, but given his brain's fixation with his ex-student, he _really, really_ didn't want to have to talk about anything of a sexual nature with her. Particularly not sex with Uchiha Itachi, of all people. _This damn mission..._

They set off towards the northeast. Kiba and Akamaru took the lead, with Sai followed by Ino and Kakashi at the rear. As he traveled, Kakashi found himself wondering how much the blonde ahead of him knew about Sakura's predicament. _Knowing Tsunade, she'd probably kept her apprentice's involvement with the Uchiha under wraps._ That was all well and good, but given the role that the Hokage had anticipated Ino playing, it only seemed fair to ensure that she had some advance notice. And, of course, as team leader, such in-mission briefings were, very unfortunately, one of his responsibilities. _Well, might as well get it over with_. Steeling himself, he cleared his throat and called out to the girl. "Ino-chan, a word."

"Hm, Kaka-sensei?" The blonde slowed slightly, her tone dulcet as she allowed Kakashi to catch up with her. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kakashi found his exposed eye running over the girl's long, lean legs in cool appraisement. _Well, Genma's enthusiasm for the Yamanaka girl is understandable; she certainly has developed nicely._ The familiar vision of Sakura's body framed by the light of her apartment building that had tortured him so frequently over the past couple of weeks swam to the forefront of his mind once again. _They'd all grown up. Mah, was he getting to be a pervert in his old age…_

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Ice-blue eyes were fixed on him rather knowingly. _Had she noticed him staring? That would be… unfortunate. Ah well, nothing for it but a diversion. Let's see…._ Giving the kunoichi a sideways glance, he adopted that familiar, airy tone he'd crafted over a decade of chronic lateness. "Ah yes, Ino-chan, I _apologize_. I was trying to recall whether or not I remembered to water my cactus before I left. You know, cacti require _far_ more water than you'd think. It's really a wonder they can survive in Suna _at all_..."

Plush pink lips parted in exasperation. _He'd earned himself a quality eye roll with that one._ " _Really_ , Kaka-sensei. Forehead always said you came up with _the worst_ excuses. I'd refused to believe such slander of someone as good looking as you, but that was _terrible_."

 _Well, she wasn't convinced, but the nonsense appeared to have distracted her enough to get him off the hook._ Kakashi smiled benevolently beneath his mask, at least until her words caught up with him. _Wait a second, was she flirting_ with him _?_ _Certainly, she'd developed a bit of a reputation, but really?_ Pushing the shock out of his mind - _she was Sakura's age! -_ he took a deep breath, focusing hard on keeping his voice steady and getting this increasingly dangerous conversation back to the mission. "Ino-chan, did Tsunade-sama say anything to you about _why_ you were included?"

She shrugged, playful tone growing more serious. "Not really. I assume it has something to do with my friendship slash rivalry with Sakura, though."

"Ah, yes. Hokage-sama thought it would be helpful if we had a kunoichi along whom Sakura feels comfortable talking to." He paused, taking in Ino's pensive face as he considered how to phrase this next piece of decidedly uncomfortable information. _Best to keep it brief and direct._ "On our scouting mission last week, Kiba and Akamaru came across evidence that Sakura-chan and her captor have been, ah, _intimate_."

Blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, although Kakashi noted that the girl looked more scandalized than horrified. "Forehead and Uchiha _Itachi_ … what? Wait... it was _consensual_ , right? I mean, I know Sakura's always had a thing for tall, mysterious, handsome Sharingan wielders, but I can't imagine her showing any interest in a _criminal_..."

Kakashi was relieved that the kunoichi had the good sense to lower her voice. While Kiba already knew about the liaison, Sai did not, and Kakashi planned to keep things that way. He doubted that Sai was much of a gossip, coming from ROOT, but it was what Sakura would likely want. _Speaking of Sakura... what was all this about his ex-student being into tall and mysterious Sharingan wielders? He obviously knew about the girl's infatuation with Sasuke, but Ino had used a_ plural _noun. Perhaps she was speaking abstractly? But hold on,_ he _was fairly tall, obviously possessed the Sharingan, and wore a mask. Did a mask make one mysterious? Ino's revelation was certainly something that demanded additional attention…_

 _Later._ The blonde was starting to eye him curiously again. _Now, where had his mind been? Ah yes, the damned liaison that had been stalking his thoughts for almost a week now. Right. Back to Captain mode._ "Tsunade-sama received intelligence indicating that Sakura seemed to be unharmed, so the current thinking is that she wasn't coerced. The report was vague; we won't know for sure until we reach her."

Ino nodded. "Well, then, do we know _why_ the Uchiha kidnapped Sakura?"

"Not definitively." Kakashi had his own theories, of course, but they involved classified information surrounding the Nine Tails. He suspected that most of his former classmates had likely figured out the truth about Naruto long ago - the whiskers had always seemed a bit of a giveaway, and the boy had never really been one for secrets - but he wasn't going to risk the wrath of two of the three Sannin and censure by the High Council if he could help it.

"Well, I just hope Forehead's okay. And that he was gentle. She was a virgin, you know." He hadn't known, although he'd admittedly assumed as much. Hearing it out loud was certainly _something_ , though. It seemed that he wasn't the only one horrified. Ino clapped her hand over her mouth, face turning bright red. "Oh, _fuck_ , Kakashi-sensei. Don't _ever_ tell Sakura I just said that. She'd kill me."

* * *

It was early evening by the time Kakashi's squad reached the coastal village detailed in Tsunade's briefing. The row of houses was quite humble, but that wasn't exactly a surprise. While she wasn't in any Bingo Books yet, at least as far as he'd seen, Sakura's appearance and fighting style were both recognizable, and, in addition to being the Hokage's apprentice, she'd attracted a fair bit of interest throughout the shinobi world following her battle with Sasori. _Yes, the Uchiha was likely trying to keep an even lower-than-usual profile._

Scanning the faces of his companions, Kakashi had to admit that he was impressed with his team's endurance. He'd already known that Sai was virtually inhuman - ROOT operatives tended to be - but had rather expected Ino and/or Kiba to complain about the pace or, at the very least, the lack of breaks. Eager to spare Sakura one more night with the Uchiha, he'd insisted on the blistering speed that he'd grown accustomed to during his ANBU days, and yet they'd soldiered on admirably. _Or perhaps it wasn't so surprising. After all, both knew the truth of what Sakura was going through…_

Kakashi let out a small sigh of uncharacteristic impatience as he weighed their options, right index finger and thumb coming to pinch the bridge of his nose in thought. It was getting dark, and, while the ninken were more than capable of nighttime tracking, it would be most efficient if they waited until morning, desire to recover Sakura as fast as possible notwithstanding. Moreover, while his Sharingan allowed him to somewhat keep pace with Itachi, the rest of his team would be at a loss if it came to a confrontation in the dark. "Let's set up camp," he informed the group. "No campfire, and keep your chakra suppressed. Best to keep our presence subdued if we want any hope of tracking them down. I'll take first watch."

They ate silently and set up their sleeping mats in a small clearing as the sky turned inky black. Resisting a vague temptation to pull out _Icha Icha_ , Kakashi settled down with his back against a particularly thick trunk, allowing the nocturnal sounds of the forest to wash over him: the chirping of crickets, the hooting of an owl, the _caw_ of a crow far off in the distance. He'd long ago lost count of his mission total but had never failed to appreciate the peacefulness of a forest at night. _Probably hardwired into his Leaf genetics…_

Ten or fifteen minutes before he'd intended to wake Kiba, the Copy Ninja was roused from his thoughts. Two familiar chakra signatures were... heading their way? _What was the Uchiha playing at?_ Swiftly rising to his feet, uncovering his Sharingan, and dampening his own signature further in what he already knew was a futile attempt to avoid detection, Kakashi crossed the clearing and wordlessly roused his dark-haired teammate. Ever the disciplined ANBU, Sai's eyes opened before the Copy Ninja had even placed his hand on his shoulder. _Or perhaps he'd been awake this whole time._ Kakashi jerked his head slightly at the prone figures of Ino and Kiba, hoping that the pale boy's nonverbal communication skills were more advanced than his social abilities. Fortunately, it appeared to do the trick. Sai nodded and silently crept over towards the sleeping chunin. _There wasn't a moment to lose._ Companions alerted, Kakashi dashed from the clearing and deeper into the dark forest, attention locked on the couple. Facing an Uchiha alone was madness, but this could very well be their only chance to recover Sakura, and he wasn't about to squander it, Mangekyo Sharingan be damned.

After several minutes of near sprinting, two figures came into view, and Kakashi dropped down into the underbrush, scoping out the scene before him. Despite the danger posed by the Uchiha, his mismatched eyes went immediately to his former student. She was sitting up against a tree, slender arms wrapped around her knees and pink hair ethereal under the moonlight. As far as he could tell, the girl appeared unharmed, yet there was a certain sadness etched into her face that he'd never before seen, not even in the aftermath of Sasuke's defection. _Lost innocence?_ Whatever it was, it cut him to the core.

Beside her, stood her captor, Uchiha Itachi, deadly, handsome face locked in that same impenetrable mask he'd always worn so well. _Was it just his imagination, or did the missing nin's body language betray a certain exhaustion tonight?_ There was no time to dwell on it, for the man suddenly activated his eyes, tomoe rapidly swirling into the three prongs of his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Hatake Kakashi. You've come for your student. How… expected."

 _He'd been spotted. Well, against a Sharingan as fine as Itachi's, it wasn't all that much of a surprise._ Shifting his gaze back to Sakura out of a combination of concern and self-preservation (he'd prefer not to be on the receiving end of _Tsukuyomi_ again, after all), Kakashi rose to stand before his former ANBU teammate, crossing his arms over his chest in feigned casualness. "Ah. It appears we keep running into one another, Uchiha Itachi. All right, Sakura-chan?"

The kunoichi nodded faintly, emerald green eyes wide. "Hn, you want her? You can have her, Kakashi- _senpai_. I have no _further_ use for your _precious_ teammate." Kakashi's body stiffened at the Uchiha's dark, coolly mocking tone, the perversion of the honorific conjured up painful memories of their shared past. _Mah_ _, was this uncomfortable. But what did he mean, he could have her? Did the Uchiha really intend to give up Sakura without a fight?_

It appeared that he did. Kakashi watched, transfixed, as the rogue nin wordlessly urged the girl to her feet, met her eyes (he flinched at _that_ ; _what was Sakura thinking?_ ), lightly tapped her forehead with his right index and middle fingers in a bizarre expression of _something_ , and then flickered away, a trail of black feathers in his wake, leaving the girl seemingly alone.

* * *

 _Just like that, he was gone._ As the feathers drifted to the ground next to her, disappearing on contact with the earth, Sakura felt her heart plummet, a strange emptiness filling her chest. Of course, she'd been aware of the next piece of Itachi's plan for several days, but the advance knowledge didn't really soften the blow of his departure, particularly not when he'd looked at her like _that_ just now, blazing red eyes burning her to her soul and the gentle, almost loving way that he prodded her forehead serving as a soothing, albeit strange, apology. Her eyes began to water, but she fought the tears back, squinting angrily. _No, there was no point in crying._ _She was a kunoichi with a mission, and it was time, at long last, to show some mettle._ _She could do this… she had to._

"Sakura-chan?" She felt her body tense at the pain etched into the visible swatch of Kakashi's face. While the man undeniably had his faults - he hadn't exactly been sensei of the year, at least when it came to her - she knew that he cared deeply for her and that he'd always _attempted_ to shield her from the harsher realities of the shinobi world, particularly after Sasuke's defection.

Focusing hard on keeping her features composed, Sakura willed the outer edges of her lips to lift slightly in a quasi-smile. "Hai. I'm… I'm _okay_ , Kakashi-sensei. _Arigato_ ," she murmured, intimately aware of his steel-grey eye running over her body, likely assessing it for any signs of damage or weakness. She flushed slightly under his gaze. _Hm, those mismatched eyes of his. How strange. She'd never before noticed how truly_ intense _they could be..._

Seemingly satisfied, or at least resigned to the fact that she appeared physically unharmed, Kakashi let out a sigh, pulling his hitai-ate back down to cover his Sharingan. "I… we were worried about you, Sakura." He approached her slowly, as if concerned she'd spook, until he was close enough to touch her. Then, purposefully reaching out his left arm, he allowed his warm hand to settle on her right shoulder in what would usually be a familiar gesture of support. However, after two weeks in Itachi's company, his touch felt strangely foreign and _decidedly_ masculine, inspiring a shiver down her spine. _Of course he noticed._ Kakashi quickly withdrew his hand, and his visible eye narrowed slightly, locking back on her face in a closer assessment. "You're sure you're all right?" He asked, baritone gentle, as if she were a small child. "I'm your team leader, Sakura. You know you can _always_ tell me if anything… _happened_."

She paused. _Could she? Oh, was it tempting… but no._ Itachi's plan wasn't hers to reveal, and, more crucially, Kakashi would never believe her. She repeated Itachi's words to herself. _Stay silent._ "Kaka-sensei, I'm _okay_." The Uchiha was right. She trusted Kakashi deeply, but it was extremely unlikely that he'd return her confidence after her two weeks with "the enemy." _Kami, why did the thought that she'd lost his trust have to_ hurt _so much?_

They stood silently, eyeing one another for several minutes, and Sakura found herself wondering if he could hear how frantically her heart was beating. Then, the raw concern in his eye shifted to that lazy gaze that was his trademark, and he gave her that mask-covered "everything is going to be fine, don't you worry, Sakura-chan" smile she'd never particularly liked. _It appeared that he was done interrogating her, at least for the night._ "Well then, I'm glad you're all right. Shall we leave this particular clearing before Uchiha-san changes his mind? I suspect that you could use a few hours of sleep, hm? Moreover, Ino, Sai, and Kiba will be delighted to see you."

* * *

Glancing up into the forest canopy, Kakashi let out a dissatisfied sigh despite the warmth of the sun and the excellent time that they were making. For as long as he'd known her, his Sakura-chan had been an open book: Sweet, earnest, and above all honest, if a bit of an emotional hothead at times. She was the one member of his genin team that he'd never truly needed to worry about. _How things had changed..._

As he'd done during their outbound journey yesterday, Kakashi hung back slightly, observing the quintet before him. Sai led this time, keeping pretty much to himself, although he'd seemed somewhat pleased in his own, peculiar way to have his teammate back. _Or maybe it was just because they'd succeeded in their mission? ROOT members weren't supposed to hold any attachments, although Naruto seemed to be rubbing off on him a bit lately._ Next, came Kiba aboard Akamaru, eyes frequently turning to the girls he preceded: Ino, closely followed by the pink-haired kunoichi who continued to haunt Kakashi's thoughts.

 _She was doing an impressive job of pretending that nothing was wrong_ , he observed coolly, noting the way that Sakura returned Ino's worried glances with even smiles. And yet, while Ino seemed somewhat soothed, _he_ didn't buy her act for one minute. That smile didn't reach her lovely emerald eyes, her body language was stiff and reserved despite being in the company of friends, and she was largely resisting her companions' attempts to draw her into conversation, answering their questions and observations with monosyllabic, yet polite responses whenever possible.

"You must be looking forward to returning to the village, Sakura-chan!"

"Hai."

"Forehead, it is such a relief to have you back. Without you around, I had Tsunade-sama's _undivided attention_ during our lessons, and I thought she'd drive me to an early grave."

"Oh, Ino… I'm sure you were fine."

"Sakura-chan, perhaps we could get lunch some time? Just the two of us? Not like a date or anything… maybe lunch at Ichiraku?"

"Hm. Maybe, Kiba-kun."

 _Yes, it was all trademark Uchiha… and it was_ deeply _troubling._ While Kakashi hoped never to learn _some_ of the details of Sakura's time with the missing nin - for his own sanity and as her _male_ former sensei, he'd leave _that_ conversation to Tsunade - he was eager to get to the bottom of _why_ exactly she'd been targeted and, most importantly, what she'd agreed to. _For he must have gotten her to promise him_ something _; Uchiha Itachi would never relinquish a target so easily without good reason._ It had been exceedingly tempting to try and probe for this information last night, and Kakashi was still somewhat of the mind to pull her aside now, yet he deferred. While he unfortunately had plenty of experience with interrogation methods thanks to his years in ANBU, how to best handle Sakura was Tsunade's decision to make. Besides, the idea of subjecting Sakura to any further mental anguish was decidedly unappetizing.

* * *

The rescue party reached the gates of Konoha by the late afternoon. As she crossed the threshold, breathing in the familiar village air, Sakura felt a creeping dread travel up her body, casting a shadow over her mind despite the brightness of the sun and the high spirits of her companions. Well, most of her companions. _He wasn't usually a chatterbox, but Kakashi had been awfully quiet on their return trip._ She could feel his eyes on the back of her head as she impassively took in her surroundings, struggling to remind herself that the Elders were _not_ the entirety of the village and that some, no most, of the people before her in the streets were utterly unaware and blameless for the Uchihas' plight.

Sakura only realized that Kakashi had led her straight to her Shishou's office door when an all too familiar "Come in!" cut through her thoughts. Someone - _it must have been him_ \- had apparently decided that she could use a private audience, for Ino, Sai, Kiba, and Akamaru had vanished. Raising his right eyebrow at her, Kakashi wordlessly pushed open the door, and she stepped into the familiar, round room with its paneled windows and large desk, bowing her head slightly at the sight of her mentor, the sole occupant. "Tsunade-sama," she breathed softly.

The woman let out a long, soft sigh, a trace of a smile on her rose-painted lips as she rose to stand behind her desk. " _Sakura_. It is good to have you back with us."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Despite her frustrations, it was admittedly a relief to be with her _Shishou_ again. After five years of training, their bond was deep, and her two-week absence was the longest they'd been apart since the Hokage first became her mistress.

"I'm afraid that there is much that we have to discuss. Should I send Hatake away? Or would you prefer that he stay? As you both know well, conversations held within this room _do not leave it_ unless I indicate otherwise." Amber eyes glinted menacingly in warning.

Sakura glanced at her former sensei, admiring the way that he kept his expression impassive in the face of what many less-balanced shinobi would have considered a slight. "It's okay if Kaka-sensei stays, Tsunade-sama. I think I'd like him to be here, actually." While she deeply respected the woman, the idea of being alone with her right now was more than a little terrifying. _What if she slipped up? If she said more than she should? It could throw the whole mission!_

She was surprised when her Shishou turned her attention to Kakashi and even more so at the question that followed. "Hatake… do I have _your_ approval? I recognize that, given the parties involved, we could touch on certain subjects that may be, ah, sensitive -"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," came his somewhat gruff reply. "I am willing." _Sensitive subjects? For Kakashi-sensei? Whatever could she mean?_ After all, Kakashi had _rarely_ been the type to show discomfort… _well, except that time back when they were still genin when they tried to see under his mask. Or asked too probing questions about his past. Hm…_

Tsunade nodded and turned her attention back to Sakura, who suddenly felt rather alarmingly like bacteria under a microscope in the hospital lab. "So, Sakura, you've met Uchiha Itachi. He's an _interesting_ man, is he not?" Her voice was soft, yet Sakura could sense the focused intent behind it. She was probing her for a rise, a display of emotion of some kind, but she wasn't going to take the bait, at least if she could help it.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama. Most interesting." Remembering Itachi's instructions for keeping her mind clear and unburdened by emptying her thoughts, Sakura fought the urge to blush, returning the woman's imposing amber stare with what she hoped was a deferential yet even glance of her own.

The blonde frowned slightly. _Had her brow always furrowed that intensely?_ She wet her lips, as if collecting her thoughts, and, when the Hokage spoke again, her voice was even softer than before. "Sakura, I'm going to cut to the chase. I _know_ that this is difficult and that you've experienced things over the past two weeks for which Hatake and I completely failed to prepare you. Yet, for your own sake, for those you hold dear, for the security of Konoha, we need to know what happened _and_ what he wanted."

"You can trust us, Sakura-chan," came Kakashi's steady voice from her left, his warm hand coming to rest on her shoulder. _Keep steady. Don't flinch._ "Whatever he did; whatever you may have promised him, we'll keep you safe. As long as I breath, he won't touch you again."

 _Oh, was this difficult._ She could feel their powerful eyes on her, attempting to delve beneath the mask she'd had on ever since that moment last night in the clearing when she'd told herself to be strong. "Tsunade-sama, Kaka-sensei, I…. I can't tell you. I'm sorry." _Stay silent._


	14. The Spar

_[AN: Apologies for the slower posting schedule lately! The past few chapters have been growing in length (hopefully for the better?) and becoming a bit more involved, so I've found posting weekly a bit tricky to achieve. I'm still very invested/excited about where this story is going and have no plans to disappear on you, so no worries about that! RE: the question/comment about how Sakura will manage her feelings about being back in the village (thank you, Uchiha Misaki - so nice to hear from readers! [also, on that note, thanks as well, Sneaky Elephant, for all the positive feedback!])... hopefully, what follows helps to address this! As usual, this story is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 14: The Spar**

It had been five days since her return to Konoha, and Sakura was slowly starting to settle into some semblance of a routine. The transition period had been… _difficult_. While the kunoichi had attempted to argue, Tsunade had insisted that she take at least a long weekend off before returning to her regular shifts at the hospital and banned her from any sort of sparring, pending a full physical. Accustomed to staying busy with her med-nin work, training, and the occasional mission, the leisure time quickly turned torturous. She had visitors - Ino, Kakashi, and her parents each checked in on her daily, while Sai, Lee, and Kiba stopped by twice and Hinata, Shikamaru, and Shizune once each - but the interactions felt stiff and strained, confined wholly to trivialities. For the first time in her life, Sakura found herself actually preferring her time when she was on her own. _When she was alone, there were no sympathetic glances, no awkward silences, and no demands to pretend that nothing had changed..._

 _It's as if a gap has opened between us_ , Sakura mused as she furtively eyed her current companion across a steaming mug of jasmine tea. In the past, she'd always enjoyed Ino's penchant for gossip. It was a welcome distraction from her reality: the tedium of the hospital, the stress of missions, the pain of Sasuke's constant and Naruto's near-constant absences. But now, as the blonde went on and on about who was currently sleeping with whom, she found herself rather wishing she could flip a switch and mute the girl's mouth. After all she'd learned, knowing Itachi's plan and the amount that was riding on her shoulders, daily life suddenly seemed trite.

"Okay, so you'll _never_ believe this next pair, Forehead. Remember that manly blonde chick with the pigtails from Suna? Gaara's teammate? Or was it sister? Oh, whatever. You know who I'm talking about. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that Shika's got the hots -"

 _Ugh, she couldn't take it anymore._ "Ino?" Sakura interrupted, leaving off the affectionate "Pig" in a display of vague irritation. "Do you think you could give it a rest?"

Her companion's eyes widened in what Sakura suspected was fear. It was an expression she'd witnessed a few times now, usually when Ino thought she wasn't paying attention, but the effect was still jarring, reminding her forcefully of one of the sources of her anxiety. _She was fast becoming an outsider within her own village._

"I'm… sorry, Sakura. I didn't realize it would _upset_ you. Look, do you need some space right now? This whole transition must be super overwhelming. Should I go? Would that be best?"

 _Ugh, she was annoying. Wait a second, when had her subconscious morphed into Sasuke-kun?_ Feeling a touch guilty - Ino's heart _was_ in the right place, after all - Sakura let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Pig," she began, willing some warmth into her voice, "I'm afraid I just haven't felt, well, much like myself since coming back to Konoha."

"That's _understandable_ ," Ino replied, her voice losing most of the artificial breathlessness she inserted when gossiping. The blonde glanced down at her tea, swirling the cream-colored mug thoughtfully. "I don't suppose… you want to talk about _it_?"

 _Oh, I'm dying to talk about it, actually. I just can't_.

 _SAKURA, stay silent._ She'd been repeating Itachi's advice like a mantra for days now. What else could she do? While she'd initially rejected his suggested approach to handling her return to the village, she'd been unable to come up with a better option. _If they decide I've been compromised, there's no way I'll ever be sent on the mission to assist Itachi with Sasuke-kun's recovery._ Face falling into a false smile that could rival Sai's for its insincerity, she met the girl's ice-blue eyes with her own emerald. "Talk about what, Ino?" She asked, taking a sip of her rapidly cooling tea to steady her nerves.

It appeared that she wasn't the only one growing frustrated. Brow furrowing, Ino's eyes blazed to life. "Cha, don't give me that, Forehead! I don't know why you're insisting on keeping everything bottled up, but you can tell your _best friend_ what's going on, at least."

 _No, I really can't though. I might detest Itachi's plan, but it's our only chance to save Sasuke…_

"Come on, I know your big, bad secret, Sakura. Kaka-sensei told me."

 _He_ told _you? Told you what? What could Kakashi-sensei possibly know?_ Sakura willed her face to remain impassive despite her increasing nervousness. After the conversation in Tsunade's office the afternoon of her return, she hadn't said anything further to her former instructor about her time with the Uchiha. Sure, he often spoke about "looking underneath the underneath," but he was no mind reader. At least as far as she knew. _Perhaps, Ino was using some sort of interrogation tactic? She was Yamanaka Inoichi's daughter, after all..._

Ino rolled her eyes. "I know you slept with him, Forehead. That's what all this moodiness is about, right? You _fucked_ Uchiha Itachi, and you're embarrassed." The girl's eyes narrowed slightly, a look of concern flitting across her face. "I mean, you, uh, agreed to it, didn't you? That's what I assumed, but, _oh Kami,_ Sakura _please_ tell me he didn't -"

 _Wait… WHAT? That was private!_ She'd deduced from her talk with Tsunade and Kakashi that they were aware that something had gone on with the missing nin _(why else would her sensei have promised to keep him from touching her_ again _?)_ , but she hadn't expected anyone else to find out _or_ to conjecture that the liaison had been anything but consensual. "Itachi-san didn't _rape_ me, Ino," Sakura spat, gripping her mug angrily as her cheeks warmed. Her emotions were getting the best of her again, but how could they not? To have them think Uchiha Itachi capable of such behavior… she couldn't stand for it! "How _dare_ you -"

" _Sakura_ , let me talk." It appeared that Ino wasn't going to stop until she'd gotten whatever she had to say off of her chest. "Look, I _know_ he's a missing nin, but there's nothing to be ashamed about! I'm not going to lie, I was pretty surprised when Kakashi first told me, but I know what happened. There's a whole psychological theory about why captives are so often attracted to their captors; it was in one of my psych textbooks. Besides, he's _obviously_ evil and twisted as all get out, but he's still undeniably hot, right? _And_ he's a dead ringer for Sasuke-kun." She smiled in what was probably supposed to be sympathy. "We all make mistakes, Forehead. With me around, you should know that by now. Honestly, you should just count yourself lucky that you lived to tell the tale."

 _Ino was veritably insane, and this settled it._ As she listened to her friend's rambling, Sakura's anger gradually resided, her logical side taking back over. If there was one feature of her two-week sojourn with Itachi that Ino _had_ to find out some of the truth about, the sex was probably the safest bet, particularly given how quickly the girl came up with her own rationale for what had transpired. _In fact, it was a bit of a relief to have something from those weeks somewhat out in the open_. Face sliding into a slightly sheepish smile (while she wasn't embarrassed, it felt a bit funny to actually _talk_ about something so intimate), Sakura nodded in acknowledgment of her friend's words. "Well… I can't say I didn't enjoy it, Ino," she murmured wistfully, a familiar ache rising deep within as she remembered how nice it _had_ been.

Ino laughed, her nerves evident. "So he was good, huh?" Then, glancing over Sakura's shoulder, she made a show of checking the clock. "Oh my, look at the time. Now, uh, look, Forehead. I'd love to stay and hear _more_ \- definitely save the steamy details for our next chat! - but, I think I'd best be going. Not to duck out on you or anything like that. It's just, well, I have training this afternoon. With… uh… Shika and Choji..."

 _Well, despite her bravado, she's obviously still uncomfortable,_ Sakura observed coolly as Ino quickly stood and made for the door. Never had she felt so alone.

* * *

Following the conclusion of "Operation: Cherry Blossom," as he'd titled the Sakura rescue mission in his report (alternative, for-his-eyes-only moniker: "1,001 Ways to Fuck with Hatake's Head"), Tsunade had insisted on giving Kakashi some "much-needed" time off. A full week to sit and stew, to be exact. The Copy Ninja had fought against the decision valiantly - he'd always found a steady stream of life-threatening missions the best antidote for his demons - but the Hokage had threatened to extend the sentence in retaliation. And so he had relented, his only saving grace the fact that this would leave him with plenty of time to keep tabs on his very favorite student. Yes, he would see through the promise he'd made during her absence to pay her more attention, even if it killed him.

 _And it very well might._ The first four days worth of visits to Sakura's apartment had been _decidedly_ taxing. While Kakashi considered himself a perfectly pleasant companion, he'd never enjoyed small talk, and Sakura avoided any and all meatier subjects of conversation. For, despite his subtle probing, the kunoichi showed no signs of letting him into her mind or bringing up anything having to do with her time with the Uchiha. Instead, she kept their conversations fixed rather pointedly on "safe" subjects… her work at the hospital ( _he hated even talking about_ that _place)_ , chunin gossip ( _if Ino's name came up one more damn time…)_ , the weather _(really, Sakura-chan?)_ , and their shared past _(as usual, she studiously avoided anything too Sasuke-centric)._

He had a long fuse, but the drivel was getting to him. Even worse, the boredom was encouraging his eye and mind to wander into decidedly unsound, albeit infinitely interesting, territory. Yesterday, as the minutes slowly ticked by and she went on and on about some old civilian woman with a broken hip she'd treated six months ago, he'd found himself wondering not for the first time how she'd look on her knees, verdant green eyes peering innocently up at him, those pretty little lips of hers suctioned onto his cock. _Had the Uchiha experienced that sweet, sinful pleasure?_ The thought, combined with the guilt of lusting after his ex-student, had had Kakashi clenching his mug of tea so hard that his knuckles had turned white.

Fortunately, things were looking up. Today, day 5 of his imprisonment in Konoha - _for that's what this "vacation" really was -_ Sakura had finally received the go ahead from her mistress to resume light training after passing her post-captivity physical _._ Since Naruto was out of town doing Kami knew what with Jiraiya, they'd agreed to meet Sai and Yamato for a lunchtime team spar. And so, slightly after two in the afternoon, Kakashi wound his way through the relatively quiet streets of Konoha toward Training Ground 16, clad in his standard-issue jonin attire, _Icha Icha_ in hand.

As usual, he was the last to arrive. His team sat in the shade beneath a large oak tree, Yamato meditating _(actually, make the quasi-dosing)_ , Sai absorbed in one of those terrible etiquette books he liked so much _(and people said that_ he _possessed poor taste in literature)_ , and Sakura staring off into space, a rather morose look on her face _(he shuddered to think what she was thinking)_. At his appearance, they all looked up in vague disinterest, and Kakashi found himself missing those distant, simpler days when his late arrivals would inspire cries of rage from Naruto, exasperated muttering from Sakura, and dark scowls from Sasuke. "Been waiting long?" He called out benevolently, already knowing the answer.

"Just over an hour, Senpai," Sai replied evenly, that same, benign little smile that he always wore locked on his face.

"Ah yes, sorry about that. The post-lunch foot traffic in downtown Konoha these days is positively _dreadful_. I got stuck behind this old dear with a cane..." He frowned slightly at the unchanged faces of the two teens. _Disappointing. It wasn't his best work by any stretch of the imagination, but to have it fall so flat… it was outrageous. Well, at least Yamato spared him an eye roll. He'd always been a good sport._ "Ah, well, shall we get started, then? Some basic ground rules… no Sharingan, no chakra-enhanced strength." The kunoichi frowned slightly at that. "Apologies, Sakura-chan. Tsunade-sama made me swear on _Icha Icha_ that this would be a _light_ spar. Teams…"

"I'll work with Yamato," Sakura volunteered, rising to her feet. She tossed a goading smile in Kakashi's direction, as if daring him to complain. After all, they usually teamed up when in this particular four-man combination.

"Works for me," the wood user agreed with a shrug, standing to join her. "It's always a pleasure, Sai, but I could use a change of pace." Sai nodded his assent, shut his book, and made his way over to Kakashi so that the two teams stood about fifteen feet apart from one another, Sai across from Yamato and Sakura from Kakashi. As he eyed the kunoichi, he noted the aggressiveness of her smile. _Someone's eager. This could get interesting. Also, since when had those eyelashes of hers gotten so long and those eyes so green? Well, they'd always been green, but, for whatever reason, today, their intensity was… really striking..._

Yamato cleared his throat, and Kakashi tore his eyes away from the girl's lovely face, scratching the back of his neck in vague discomfort. _He really needed to cut down on the staring. Or get laid. Yes, that would be sure to get the little pink-haired vixen out of his head. Now… was Anko back from that Suna mission yet?_ "Taichou…"

 _Fuck. Right. They were supposed to be sparring._ "Ah… terribly sorry, distracted by a dragonfly. Such a lovely shade of emerald." _Smooth._ "Anyway, back to the spar. Any other requests? No? Well then, on your marks…"

* * *

At her former sensei's shouted "Go!" Sakura shot across the grassy field, eager to engage the silver-haired man in a taijutsu spar. _He seemed a bit loopier than usual today; maybe she could use that to her advantage._ Ducking the ink eagle that came soaring over her head to engage with Yamato and his wood clone, she met Kakashi's dark eye, making her intent clear. She'd been looking forward to this moment for over a week now. While the training sessions with Itachi had unfortunately been fewer in number and more rushed that she would have liked, Sakura was confident that she'd picked up at least a few tricks and was rather looking forward to testing them out. _And, if she were going to be brutally honest, of showing off a bit. No matter how far they drifted apart, the need to impress their old sensei was one point on which she Sasuke, and Naruto would probably always see eye to eye._ Seizing the role of aggressor, Sakura threw her first punch at the man's masked face, barely remembering to kept it unenhanced. As he flipped backwards, a grey eyebrow shot up towards his hairline. "Looking spry today, Sakura-chan!" He called out, his mask failing to completely disguise his grin. "You've been working on your speed, I see."

"Hai, sensei!" Sakura replied gamely, attempting to take out his legs with a well-timed kick. He dodged, stumbling slightly in his haste to get out of her way, and she felt a real smile creep over her face for what very well may have been the first time since her return to Konoha. _Fighting, using her body in this way, as a weapon, was so cathartic. Kami, had she missed it._

But there was no time for ruminating. Perhaps sensing her momentarily shift in focus, Kakashi took to the offensive, throwing a series of rapid-fire kicks and punches in her direction in an attempt to turn the tables. Remembering Itachi's words about watching the opponent's current motions for clues as to his next action, Sakura dodged the onslaught effortlessly, a "Cha!" springing from her parted lips for emphasis as she ducked a particularly punishing kick aimed straight for her nose.

"Sakura-chan, eagle at eleven o'clock!" Yamato's voice echoed across the field. _They were double teaming her now, eh?_ Veering right to avoid Kakashi's final punch then left to escape Sai's ink beast, Sakura finished her sequence of motion by leaping upwards onto a low branch of a nearby pine, giving herself a bit of a break and some time to decide on her next move. While Itachi's tactics were serving her well, they demanded a great deal of concentration to execute, and it was somewhat tiring. _Nothing that a little more practice wouldn't resolve._

From her perch, she noticed that Sai had returned to battling it out with Yamato. Right now, the wood ninja seemed to have the upper hand, but Sakura knew better than to underestimate the dark-haired boy. Sure enough, she watched, intrigued, as he dodged a branch seeking to pin him to the ground and then began sketching on his ever-present scroll, gloved hands a blur of activity. _Sai was certainly an artist when it came to battle, and not just because his preferred medium was ink._

Unfortunately, before she could see what he'd summoned, a low, teasing voice from below dragged her attention away. "Ah, Sakura-chan, did I tire you out?" Kakashi asked, hands shaping an all too familiar sequence that she recognized from her time with Sasuke and Itachi as their clan's signature _Katon no Jutsu_. _Apparently, Kakashi was bringing the big guns today. Also, she needed to move… fast!_

A plume of fire made straight for her, setting the tree branch alight, and the kunoichi dropped down to the ground before her sensei, delighted at catching him somewhat flat-footed. Thinking back to her very first training session with Itachi on Toki, Sakura gave the Copy Nin a small smile and then, before he had time to weave anything else, pulled him into her genjutsu. The target? None other than Uchiha Itachi. He was the first to come to mind and seemed an extremely appropriate, albeit somewhat risky, choice. She'd been curious about Itachi's relationship with her sensei ever since he'd let slip that the pair had known each other well once, and the adrenaline from their sparring session had left her feeling bold. _If everything goes well, this could get interesting…_

* * *

 _He had her just where he wanted her._ As he released the fireball in Sakura's direction, Kakashi noticed the look of dismay on the kunoichi's lovely visage. Despite knowing that she was a medical ninja and the fact that injuries were one of the occupational hazards of shinobi life, he felt a bit guilty. After all, even if she could repair them with minimal effort, burns like that still _hurt_. _Maybe he should have gone a bit easier on her. Then again, with her increased speed and heightened ability to predict his attacks, she seemed ready to take things to the next level._

 _Ugh… why did everything Sakura related sound sexual lately?_

With the girl nullified, Kakashi directed his attention back towards Sai and Yamato; however, before he could take a step in their direction, a flash of pink dropped down before him, blocking his view. _This was unexpected. Had Sakura really had time to use a substitution jutsu? No, there had been no signing... it was all raw speed._ By his reckoning, she'd picked up a good step and a half or two since their last spar just a few weeks ago. _Where ever had it come from?_

As if answering his unspoken question, the kunoichi eyed him rather seductively - _damn that cute little smile; it was patently unfair_ \- and twitched her right index and middle fingers in a "come hither" gesture that had Kakashi's eyebrow shooting toward his forehead in surprise. Somehow, with just that one twitch of her fingers, Sakura had summoned… _a flock of crows_? He hadn't seen a jutsu quite like that in a _long_ time, but, of course, he recognized the source immediately. He stood, transfixed, as the birds morphed into the tall, slender figure of an all too familiar man with dark hair and blazing red eyes. _What the… how and why had she summoned Uchiha Itachi?_ He had encountered thousands of jutsus through the course of his career, but summoning an S-class missing nin was a new one, to be sure.

"Hn, Kakashi-senpai, a pleasure as always," came the Uchiha's smooth, velvety voice, pale, slender lips settling into a cold smirk and left arm hanging out of the front of his partially buttoned Akatsuki robe. Kakashi swallowed hard as a sudden breeze swept the man's dark bangs across his deadly, handsome face, his palms growing sweaty and mouth dry under the younger man's steady gaze, stomach flip-flopping in a heady mixture of discomfort and unwelcome temptation. Even after a decade, Itachi still elicited _quite_ the effect on his system.

But this was no time to reminisce. Something fishy was going on, that much was clear, but he couldn't afford to take any chances. The Copy Ninja's visible eye darted to the man's necklace, eager to take _Tsukuyomi_ out of the equation. "What have you done to Sakura-chan?" He asked, fighting hard to keep control of his voice. Facing Itachi always dragged out painful memories, and the fact that Sakura was now involved only magnified the intensity of his emotions.

"Hn, Sakura- _chan_ , eh? It sounds like the little kunoichi has quite the hold on you. Tch, still _lusting_ after your young subordinates all these years later, senpai. I thought you'd learned _the first time_. Then again, you always were a foolish old pervert." His malicious smirk broadened. "Well, you can take _my_ word for it. That tight, little body of hers is positively _delightful_ …"

Kakashi blinked at the bitterness of his words, swallowing hard. When he opened his eye once again, he realized his mistake. The Uchiha had taken the opportunity to close the gap between them, straight nose now inches from his own, familiar, slightly smoky scent stroking his lust despite his fervent attempts to resist. _Oh Kami, how long had he dreamed of tasting Itachi's lips…._ Red eyes blazed, and the Copy Ninja reacted to the threat immediately despite his desire, shutting his charcoal eye and jamming up his hitai-ate to reveal his Sharingan. _He'd never been more grateful for his shinobi reflexes. But how on earth had the Uchiha managed to force him into making eye contact?_

Mangekyo free, Kakashi quickly came to his senses. _This wasn't real… she'd caught him in a genjutsu!_ "Kai!" The silver-haired man gasped, palms quickly snapping together, and the Uchiha vanished, ushering in a wave of intense relief. Impressed with Sakura's newfound speed and utterly unaware that the girl had anything even remotely like that in her arsenal, he'd foolishly let his guard down and failed to recognize the trap she'd set. _Of course it had been genjutsu… there was no way that Itachi could have possibly penetrated Konoha in broad daylight and made it all the way to the training fields undetected._ All of the strain he'd been under these past few weeks had apparently had more of an effect on his mental stability that he'd realized. _Tsunade had been right; maybe he_ did _need a vacation._

"Mah, that was a dirty trick, Sakura-chan," he muttered, "And quite enough for one day, I think." The girl peered back at him curiously, and he found himself wondering rather uncomfortably how much of what had just transpired she'd controlled and seen. _What had the Uchiha_ told _her?_

* * *

As her former sensei freed himself from her jutsu, Sakura found herself beset by a strong sense of guilt. Whatever had transpired between he and the genjutsu Uchiha appeared to have rattled him deeply. Silver locks damp with sweat, mismatched eyes wide in shock, and muscular body ramrod straight, he was currently a far cry from her easy-going captain. She moved to his side, tentatively reaching out for his powerful shoulder. "Everything okay, Kaka-sensei?" _It seems that Itachi may very well be his worst nightmare. How… strange._

Kakashi chuckled slightly in response. "I'll recover, not to worry. I've seen much worse. You certainly showed your old sensei, though, didn't you?" He lowered his voice - not that Sai or Yamato could spare them any attention at the moment - and brought his hitai-ate back down to cover his left eye. "Then again, it appears that you learned from the best, _hm_ , so I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised. You may have caught me off guard, but I'd never fail to recognize Itachi-san's methods."

 _The way "Itachi-san" rolled off of Sensei's tongue... it sounded so familiar._ _Oh Kami, don't blush now! Empty mind… straight face… a shinobi must never show emotions…_

He eyed her knowingly, but when he spoke again it was in that same, lackadaisical tone he almost always used, as if what he was requesting was of minor to no importance. "Perhaps we could speak more of this later, in a more _private_ setting, Sakura? Tea tomorrow?"

Growing pensive, the kunoichi bit her lip, well aware that Kakashi was watching her intently, even if his visible swatch of face suggested otherwise. _How she wished she could speak with Itachi. If he and Kakashi had once been close, maybe he would be safe to confide in? He was obviously a Leaf shinobi, but he'd also taught them never to forsake one's companions. If he knew the truth and Itachi's aims regarding Sasuke, he'd help them, wouldn't he?_ "Let me... think about it, sensei," Sakura replied, dropping her hand from where it had rested on his shoulder. "For now… do you mind if I head back to my apartment? I could probably use a rest."

Kakashi nodded his assent, and she gave him a bland smile in a desperate attempt to disguise how rapidly her heart was beating. Quickly making her way back from the training grounds to her apartment, the kunoichi found herself replaying the spar in her head. One thing as immediately clear… _it had been so foolish to include the Uchiha in her genjutsu!_ _She'd been doing so well for days… what on earth had she been thinking? But, of course, she hadn't thought_ at all _. So into the spar and eager to show her stupid ex-sensei everything Itachi had taught her - why did she even care what Kakashi thought of her anymore? - she'd lost her senses completely, and now he was on to her. If only she'd showed a bit more restraint!_

Sakura climbed the narrow stairs to her studio and let herself inside, slamming the door hard enough that the hinges rattled. Two cream-colored tea mugs sat on her wooden kitchen table, stoking her frustration further as she remembered her conversation that morning with Ino. _Barely back in the village for five full days, and she was cracking under the pressure of her secrets._ Well, there was nothing for it. She'd dug herself one hell of a hole with the whole Kakashi debacle, and it was time to fess up. Pulling a kunai from the holster strapped to her right thigh, she wove the summoning sequence Itachi had taught her and nicked her left index finger with the blade, allowing a few drops of blood to fall before closing up the wound. She'd never understand why Kakashi, Naruto, and Jiraiya all insisted on _biting_ their thumbs… _didn't they know how filthy human mouths could be?_

Despite her current frustrations, she couldn't help but feel a vague sense of satisfaction as Mikoto, the crow Itachi had taught her to summon on their last night together, appeared, intelligent black eyes peering back at her. Somewhat tentatively, she allowed herself to stroke the creature's back, fingers delighting under the soft, silky blackness of her feathers. "Mikoto," she murmured, not entirely sure what to say - she was still quite new to this whole summoning business, after all - "Could you please take a message to Itachi-san?"

The bird inclined its head slightly in what she decided was a nod. Sakura made her way over to her desk, pulling a piece of parchment and a pen out of the drawer. Leaning over the paper, she composed herself and began to write: " _Five days in, and no news of our target. I pray you are well. Suspicions are growing. A mutual acquaintance of ours is on to me, and I find myself wishing to take him in confidence. Thoughts?"_

The message was disappointingly short and decidedly vague, but that was really for the best. While she thirsted to tell Itachi _everything_ in her heart, the risk of an intercepted letter was far too high. The crow was a dangerous enough calling card on its own; sticking in emotional nonsense about Sasuke, Konoha, and Itachi himself would just assist in making the message even more traceable. _And it's not like Itachi would even want to read that sort of thing,_ she mused rather glumly. She was confident he'd enjoyed the physical aspects of their time together and held out hope that he might even return some of the affection she now held for him. However, she'd come to realize over the past few days that, at the bitter end, he was only truly interested in what she could offer as a surgeon and companion to his brother _._ It was a tough pill to swallow, but given his situation, what more could she expect? _Besides,_ she told herself firmly, _we're shinobi. Being used, using ourselves, and using others is a part of our reality. Our worth is in our utility._ They may never have defined the shinobi lifestyle in such blunt terms at the Academy, but she now knew this to be the honest truth. _Itachi's life story had opened her eyes to the reality of Konoha in several ways..._

Turning back to the crow on her kitchen table, Sakura gently tied the finished letter to her right leg with a bit of string she'd found in her desk. Task completed, the kunoichi unlocked her window and released the bird into the sky, steady wing beats calming her anxious heart as Mikoto disappeared all too quickly into the darkening horizon.


	15. The Rendezvous

_[AN: Thank you as always for the follows, favorites, and comments! SneakyElephant, the positive feedback is SO welcome! Uchiha Misaki,_ that _would certainly be something; I don't think we're headed quite in that direction, but sometimes it feels like the characters have a mind of their own! TheBloodyLoveOfSakuraHaruno, so glad you're enjoying, and thanks so much for the constructive feedback! We'll see more of Kakashi as this story progresses, so I'll hopefully be able to bring some more dimensions to his character. This chapter ended up being rather massive when I first finished it, so I opted to split it in two. The second half should hopefully be up in the next week or so (it's pretty much done, but I like to stay one chapter ahead of what's been posted to allow myself some time to finesse things a bit). The usual caveats apply; this story is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 15: The Rendezvous**

Uchiha Itachi had been introduced to the virtue of patience early on in life. As a young child, he'd spent countless hours training body and mind alike, all under the watchful eyes of his taskmaster of a father. While his mother had protested, declaring that the constant studying, the often brutal sparring, and the multi-hour meetings were inappropriate activities for a young boy, Fugaku had demanded that _his_ eldest son and heir receive plenty of early exposure to high-level jutsus and the inner workings of clan policies and procedures. Indeed, there was an ugly irony in the fact that the man's insistence on his son's too-rapid development as a shinobi and early involvement in clan business had ultimately signed his own death warrant.

Since the massacre, patience had been Itachi's virtual _modus operandi_. He'd been biding his time for over a decade as a "loyal" member of the Akatsuki, waiting for Sasuke to develop enough skill to fully defend himself as "the last Uchiha." So, the fact that he had found the past week to have been one of the slowest of his life, despite all the activity around the sealing of the Four Tails, was certainly saying something. And he didn't need to be a prodigy to know _why_. Ever since returning her to Hatake a week ago, Sakura's emerald eyes, soft smiles, and slender body had haunted his thoughts in a peculiar blend that was by turns torturous and delightful.

He was camped on the outskirts of Amegakure, taking shelter with Kisame from one of the region's frequent rainstorms following the successful sealing of the Four Tails. Standing at the cave's mouth, Itachi watched the water fall without truly seeing, weary mind filled with heady memories of the kunoichi: The easy companionship of their all too few training sessions... the feeling of her pale, nude form writhing under his body the four times they'd slept together... the way that her gentle words and actions had almost managed to convince him to be selfish for once in his life and abandon his plan to return her to Konoha...

His partner's rough voice interrupted his reverie, cutting through the silence of the cave. "A lot on your mind, eh, _Itachi-san_?"

 _Hn, Itachi-san._ It was what Sakura had taken to calling him in their last few days together on Toki. _How strange that a name that sounded so sweet and familiar on her lips could seem so mocking when uttered by another._ "Tch, it's nothing," he replied flatly, not even bothering to spare a glance at the man over his shoulder.

" _Is that right?_ You're _sure_ you're not fixated on a certain Hokage's apprentice?" He could here the teasing smirk on Kisame's face, even if he couldn't see it. "Could it be that cold-blooded Uchiha Itachi _actually_ has a heart?"

"Such foolishness." It was painfully obvious that the shark-man was baiting him, likely bored now that the jinchuuriki was sealed away, but he was in no mood to indulge his partner. Instead, his eyes settled on a rapidly approaching black dot on the horizon. Sharingan activated, Itachi easily recognized Mikoto's form, spirits rising in anticipation of the update that the bird's presence promised. A series of increasingly un-Uchiha like questions began percolating through his mind. _Had Sakura received any information on Sasuke? Had she readjusted to life in Konoha without issue? Did she miss him? Did she worry about him?_ And, least appropriate of all: _Did she desire him like he craved her?_

After what felt an eternity, the crow landed on his left shoulder, and Itachi's hands went immediately to the small scroll tied to one of its legs. Unfurling the parchment, he read rapidly and then set the note on fire. _Well, her language had been suitably vague, but the underlying message was decidedly unwelcome._ Intimately aware of Kisame's beady eyes on his back, he fought to keep the concerns that Sakura's words had awakened out of his body language. "Now then, Itachi-san, let's not keep secrets. Care to share what your little kunoichi has been up to?"

The Uchiha shrugged, finally turning to face his partner, face impassive as usual. "Hn, little of interest," he replied shortly, a wave of intense dislike coursing through his veins as he took in the shark-toothed leer staring back at him. "It appears that my presence in Konoha is necessary, however."

His companion let out a lecherous laugh. "Woo boy, that must have been _some note._ " He paused, raising an eyebrow suggestively, but Itachi kept his gaze steady. "Bah, you're no fun, you know that? Fine, if you're going to be serious, I will too. I think I'm owed a little bit more of an _explanation_ this time around, Itachi. Last time you ran off to that damned former village of yours, you were missing in action for over a week. If that happens again, Pein will have my ass on a platter, never mind your own."

 _How annoying. He really didn't have time for Kisame's antics._ Itachi nodded curtly, quickly settling on a plausible lie. "Since you insist… the kunoichi's getting cold feet, and it's imperative that I deal with her directly if we hope to have a prayer of using her to get at the Kyuubi."

"Ah, giving her _the old tune up,_ eh? I like it. Shall we be off then? I'm just _dying_ to meet her." Kisame rose, foisting Samehada up onto his burly shoulder.

"I'll be going _alone_ , Kisame," Itachi replied, allowing a trace of irritation to slip into his voice as his blazing red eyes narrowed slightly in warning. "A great deal of delicacy is going to be required, and you're not exactly subtle. Moreover, last time you joined me on an excursion to Konoha, I recall you creating quite the disturbance _._ " The Uchiha suppressed a stab of guilt at the memory of their confrontation with Hatake, Sarutobi Asuma, and Yuhi Kurenai. While they certainly had their differences, putting his old ANBU captain through _Tsukuyomi_ \- or any of his other former Konoha colleagues, for that matter - was something he dearly hoped to avoid repeating.

At the sight of his Sharingan, Kisame dropped his gaze in evident unease, and Itachi smirked at the easy victory. The combination of harsh words and the threat of his eyes usually did the trick when it came to handling his partner, and this occasion appeared to be no exception. "Fine," he said sourly, setting down his sword and settling back down by the fire. "It's pouring anyway. But you owe me one, Itachi-san."

"Tch." Picking up his straw hat and placing it atop his head, Itachi stepped out into the downpour, shivering slightly as the cold water quickly drenched his body, and took off at a rapid pace, headed east towards Konoha. Given the distance, it had likely been at least a day or two since Sakura had sent the letter, and it was imperative that he reach her before Hatake's probing got him any further.

* * *

The streets were quiet and the night moonless as Sakura slowly made her way to her apartment, clutching a navy umbrella to shield herself from the unseasonably cool rain falling over Konoha. While the twelve hours that had comprised her first post-captivity shift at the hospital had flown by, she was rather looking forward to getting back to the silence of her studio and some much-needed shuteye. Ever since returning to the village, her overactive mind had made sleep difficult to come by. _Perhaps tonight would be different._

The kunoichi's thoughts turned from the last patient she'd seen before signing out - _Takami-san was doing remarkably well after his heart surgery given his advanced age_ \- to the silver-haired jonin whose sudden interest in her well-being was part of what had been keeping her awake the past few nights. She'd successfully deferred Kakashi's request for a one-on-one conversation about what had transpired between them on Training Ground 16 for several days now, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up the chain of excuses. When she'd last denied her sensei that morning while out on a grocery run _(how did he always know just where to find her?),_ she'd claimed to need several hours to prepare herself for work at the hospital, expecting a vague grumble and a "how about tomorrow, then, Sakura-chan?" He'd taken her latest rejection rather coldly, however, acknowledging it with a knowing, one-eyed stare, and she'd feared for a moment that he was about to haul her into Tsunade's office for an official round of interrogation.

 _And if it came to that…_ Well, even if she avoided letting anything compromising slip, there was no way her s _hishou_ would put her back on the active mission roster if she found out that Sakura was repeatedly ducking out on her team captain. Such insubordination _definitely_ went against the Shinobi Rules. And from there, everything would snowball. If she wasn't reactivated, she'd miss the recovery mission. After all, Itachi had told her back on Toki that his confrontation with Sasuke would occur in a matter of weeks if all went according to plan, and time was slowly but steadily ticking. And if she wasn't a part of that mission, there was no telling what would happen to him... or to Sasuke…

 _Ugh, this would all be so much easier if she knew Itachi's thoughts._ She'd been waiting eagerly for days now, but no response to her letter had arrived, and Sakura was beginning to grow anxious that Mikoto had been intercepted or, worse, that something had happened to the missing nin himself. _Surely, he hasn't already left to seek out Sasuke-kun?_ He'd mentioned that his other contact in Konoha would keep Tsunade informed, but, as far as Sakura knew (which was usually a lot, given her status as the Hokage's apprentice), her mistress had received no such intelligence. _Had the contact reneged? Or, perhaps it was her. After all, her_ shishou _hadn't exactly been thrilled by her refusal to speak up about her time with the Uchiha. Was Tsunade keeping her at arm's length?_

Mind whirling, Sakura let herself into her apartment and flipped on the light, suppressing a shriek of surprise at the sight that greeted her. A very damp, rather pale Uchiha Itachi was sitting on her bed, face impassive and Sharingan eyes glittering in the sudden light. Knees weak, she quickly shut the door, infinitely relieved that the late hour made for a quiet hallway, and half-sat-half-fell into one of the chairs at her kitchen table. " _Itachi-san_? What… are you doing _here_?"

"Tch. Waiting for you," he replied, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. _Which it kind of was, but that was ignoring the whole question of how he'd ever managed to get into Konoha in the first place. And what ever had possessed him to throw all caution to the winds and try._ "I got your letter."

 _Well, that explained it. Sort of._ Her Inner was admittedly thrilled by this sudden turn of events, but her more practical side ensured that the excitement was accompanied by a healthy dose of alarm. "But... what if someone visits me? Or is in the area and notices an unusual presence? I mean, I know you have your chakra suppressed, but a gifted sensor - some of the Hyuga or Inuzuka, for instance - might pick up on it..."

Itachi's smirk broadened, and Sakura felt a familiar heat beginning to grow within her despite her concerns for his safety. _Oh Kami, had she missed that handsome face of his._ "Ah. Do you frequently have nocturnal visitors, Sakura? Tch, here, I thought I was the only one." She flushed at the suggestiveness of his words, and his eyes flashed in amusement. As he continued on, however, his expression grew serious. "I've set up alarms; no one will be sneaking up on us undetected. As for my chakra signature, well, as long as no one is actively looking specifically for me, there's little to be concerned about. And if they are..." He shrugged. "They'll have to be a damn good sensor. Now, Sakura, while being in your presence is admittedly pleasurable, I came for a distinct reason. I take it that Hatake has been sniffing around?"

Sakura swallowed hard, the pleasure brought on by Itachi's presence shifting to intense discomfort. _He'd infiltrated Konoha_ just _to speak with her about her former sensei? Either there was more to this visit than he was saying or her request to confide in Kakashi had irritated him off even more than she'd feared._

* * *

Itachi had arrived at the apartment about half-an-hour before Sakura herself, easily letting himself in via the same window through which he'd kidnapped her just a few weeks ago. _Even with her monstrous strength, she could really use a better home security system._ Quickly stripping himself of his drenched robe - the rain in Amegakure had followed him the entire two-day trek to Konoha - he'd settled onto her bed to await her return. His choice of seat was admittedly somewhat forward, but it wasn't the first time he'd been on her bed. Besides, he was experiencing a rather unpleasant amount of fatigue, as well as some nausea, and the cheap wooden chairs around her kitchen table just didn't look comfortable. Probing the surrounding area, he'd soon picked up the girl's chakra signature, all too slowly making her way home - _to him_ \- and an unfamiliar pang had stirred deep within at the knowledge that she'd soon be by his side. But he couldn't be distracted. There was, after all, business to attend to, in the form of a certain, decidedly _annoying_ former captain of his.

Despite this resolve, Itachi had allowed himself to indulge for a good few minutes following her arrival. He knew he was being somewhat reckless, but the longed-for sight of her dazzling smile, emerald eyes, and delicately flushed cheeks was far too much even for him to fully resist. As he regrettably turned the conversation toward Hatake, the warmth in her features vanished, overcome by a nervous frown and a furrowed brow. "I was wondering… whether it would be acceptable if I told Kaka-sensei what's going on," she murmured, a touch hesitantly, in response to his query.

 _She had good reason to be nervous._ White-hot rage instantly replaced the affection that had been coursing through Itachi's veins at the thought of confiding in his former taichou. _Involve Kakashi - never!_ He suppressed a shudder of anger at the memory of the way that the supposedly loyal Copy Ninja had calmly rebuffed him in the final few days before the massacre, keeping him at arm's length at his time of most desperate need and callously dismissing his professed affections as the naive ramblings of a child. "Out of the question," he told Sakura flatly, lips pressed firmly together as he resisted the urge to tell the girl exactly how he felt about her beloved sensei and why.

Green eyes widened in frank surprise. "But, _Itachi_. Don't you think he'd be a valuable ally? I mean, he's one of the most talented shinobi I know. He trained Sasuke-kun during the Chunin exams... I _know_ he cares about your brother. Maybe, with his assistance, we could even figure out something… so that your death won't be necessary…?"

 _Ah, she was_ still _trying to save his life. Well, he admittedly appreciated the sentiment, even if it was a fool's errand._ Releasing a long, low sigh, Itachi found his eyes drawn to the delicate trembling of her lower lip. While he still found her raw emotionality decidedly inappropriate for a shinobi, he couldn't deny that it made her all the more desirable. "Sakura, don't fight me on this. Involving Hatake would only complicate matters for us... and for him. Even if he agreed to assist us, which is doubtful, he would be in an exceedingly difficult position given his rank, and I fail to see what difference he would make. The _only_ way to bring my brother back is to sate his need for vengeance. You know as well as I that pretty promises from a former instructor will do little to sway Sasuke."

Sakura fell silent, face pale, the subtle tick of the clock over the stove the only noise in the room. Slowly, as if in a trance, she stood, rising from her seat the kitchen table, her approaching figure commanding his attention. The bed shifted slightly as she settled herself beside him, body carefully arranged so that she was seated close enough for him to feel her presence without actually touching. _How easy it would be to reach over and kiss her,_ he thought, heartbeat quickening at the not altogether unwelcome distraction. Meeting her gaze, he found her luminous green eyes upon him, soft, pink lips parting to speak in a voice that was small and somewhat tentative yet resolved. "Itachi… is all this... _is_ it worth it?"

"Worth… it?" He repeated, frowning slightly. He eyed her carefully, noticing the tension in her features, the stiffness of her body, the nervous ( _and admittedly arousing_ ) way in which she suddenly bit down on her lip. _Was she headed where he thought she was?_

Sakura paused at his interruption, as if questioning whether to continue, deceptively powerful hands clenching into fists. "What I mean is… is _Sasuke-kun_ worth... all _this_? I care about him, I truly do. But, well, now, there's _you_ to think of as well, you know. It's just that... I'm beginning to wonder _why_ his life is worth _so much more_ than yours. Whether it is. I would give almost anything to see him return to Konoha, but your _life_ , well, it's... _also_ precious to me, Itachi-san."

She fell silent, eyes shining in the lamplight with the tears she was valiantly fighting to restrain. It was clear from the pain etched into her furrowed brow that his brother still lay claim to much of her heart, but Sakura's confession confirmed his suspicions that she entertained similar feelings towards him, as well. On any other occasion, the knowledge that he'd earned himself a shred of her love would have been a source of immense delight. Indeed, his heart beat forcefully at the thought, and he found himself fighting a sudden, overwhelming urge to pull her in close. For his fatigued mind, however, the girl's words represented trouble. _Given how long Sasuke has been gone - five long years - this didn't come as a complete surprise. Although, Itachi hadn't exactly help matters by taking her for himself. Or playing at sensei back on Toki._ Not for the first time, he found himself wishing that he'd kept his cold, callous mask in place and his greedy hands to himself.

 _Well, there was nothing for it but to drag her even deeper into the mire._ He hadn't planned to ever tell her about the Kyuubi - Sasuke had seemed like _enough_ of a burden for one kunoichi to bear, and he'd gleaned that the Nine Tail's jinchuuriki was almost as dear to her as his brother - but the current circumstances had officially forced his hand. His head was throbbing with the onset of what he expected was going to be one hell of a headache, but he had to see this through. " _Sakura_ ," he murmured, voice soft and low, "If you can't justify your course of action based on Sasuke's life alone, realize that my death is for the good of Konoha as a whole. It seems that my brother may possess certain _capabilities_ that exceed my own. If those abilities were to fall into the wrong hands - if Orochimaru succeeds in his take over of Sasuke's body, if Sasuke were to turn against the village, either alone or under the influence of others - the damage he could wreak would be astronomical." Reaching into the pocket of the robe he'd draped over the bottom of her bed frame, he pulled out Madara's slim black tome, handing it to her. "You read this book, Sakura. Do you remember the final section?"

She took it, fingertips brushing against his own. _Hn, her skin was so soft, so warm._ Despite the seriousness of their current conversation, Itachi's body delighted at her touch. _He hated to even think it, but Kisame's assessment had been spot on; the kunoichi had_ quite _the hold on him._

For once, it seemed as if he was the one more affected by their physical proximity. Sakura calmly placed the book upon her lap and flipped to the final chapter. "Hai…"she breathed, "I remember now. The section on legendary powers…"

Itachi steadied himself with a short nod. _This was no time to succumb to lust._ "Exactly. The Mangekyo Sharingan _can_ have the capacity to control the Kyuubi." He paused, thinking back to his recent confrontation with Kurama. "I have reason to believe that Sasuke's eyes - once his Mangekyo is awakened - will reveal themselves particularly accomplished in this regard. I don't know how familiar you are with the power of the Nine Tails, but, believe me, its capacity for destruction is like nothing else I've seen. If Sasuke is allowed to continue down his current path - if we allow him to become the plaything of Orochimaru or the Akatsuki - he will represent an exceedingly dangerous threat. It's my life for Konoha."


	16. The Interruption

_[AN: Thanks so much for all the positive feedback on the previous chapter and the favorites and follows! Exploring characters' inner thoughts and emotions is something I've enjoyed doing a great deal so far (particularly when it comes to Itachi... writers can have favorites, right?), but I always find myself worrying a bit about getting it "right." It's so good to hear that several readers have enjoyed my approach!_ _I'm writing as much for my own entertainment as anything else, but I was still pretty dang tickled to log in today and discover that the follows on this story had hit triple digits! Please know that all the positive and constructive comments (and the requests for updates) are greatly appreciated, and the speculation about what might happen next is_ very _interesting/flattering_! _Before we dive in, a couple of notes about this next chapter... what follows is_ ** _definitely rated M._** _If you like your stories tamer, I recommend reading the first three paragraphs and then moving down to the fourth section of the chapter. And, as usual, I do not own Naruto...]_

 **Chapter 16: The Interruption**

 _For the sake of the village… it was always for the sake of the damn village._ Sakura felt a stab of frustration shoot up her spine as Itachi concluded his carefully constructed argument. As always, his logic was impeccable, his position utterly correct for a shinobi of his standing, and his willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good undeniably noble. And yet, she so utterly hated the unfairness of it all. _If only he could be a little more like Sasuke, a little more selfish._

 _But no… he was in the right, and she knew it._ She'd admittedly fallen out of love with Konoha back on Toki. The High Council's treatment of Itachi had shaken her faith in the village's leadership, opening her eyes to its shadowy underbelly and to the darker, distasteful side of her profession. That being said, the village remained her home and the home of all she held dear, and she and Itachi _both_ had a sworn responsibility to protect it with their lives. "Itachi, I _suppose_... well, I do understand," she murmured, left hand slipping from the open page of the book to rest upon Itachi's right one, savoring the feeling of his rough, slender fingers against her own. She smiled sadly as she raised her eyes back to his face, taking in the dark circles underlining his eyes and the worry lines. _He seemed so tired, so worn... if only she could make it all go away, even just for a little while._ "I only wish that Sasuke-kun could know how remarkable his _nii-san_ truly is."

"Hn. Pure fantasy." His words were as dismissive as ever, yet a certain softness appeared around the corners of his eyes and mouth, belying his pleasure at the concept. Wordlessly, he leaned towards her, gently shutting the book and placing it on her bedside table. Then, weight shifting onto his right arm, his lips slowly made their way to that spot on the left side of her neck that she liked so much. He kissed her gently, and she felt a familiar warmth rise into her belly, head falling towards her right shoulder. As she felt him creep upwards, she let out a soft sigh of longing. _Oh, how good he could make her feel…_

Itachi's lips reached her left ear, breath soft and warm. Front teeth delicately nipped her lobe, and she let out a little moan, quivering in surprise at the sensation. " _Sakura,_ " he whispered, the intensity of his voice driving her to blush, "Will you let me… _make love to you_?"

 _Yes, oh yes. Please, yes._ Practically speaking, she knew she was being foolish, that she was falling for a condemned man with weeks left to live. He was going to die, to leave her, to break her heart just like his brother had that dark night so many years ago... _yet she couldn't stop herself_. Not when he looked at her like _that_ , fiery eyes burning through his long, dark lashes, like she was the only thing that mattered. Not when her name rolled so luxuriously off of his lips, the syllables caressed by his tongue. And certainly not when his hands traced her form reverently, gently removing her top and running slowly up her bare torso, inspiring a wave of goosebumps in their wake. _It might all be one futureless fantasy... and yet she wanted it, wanted him more than words could say._

His hands found their way to her back, tracing up her spine to the clasps of her bra. Deftly undoing the latches, he eased the straps down her shoulders and arms, leaving her chest fully bare to his smoldering gaze. He was being so unhurried, so _careful_ with her, and she found herself growing impatient, thirsting to be under him _now_. As he moved back up to caress her breasts, stroking everywhere but her hardening peaks, Sakura shivered, letting out a whimper of mingled pleasure and need. At that, he paused his ministrations, and his eyes met hers, searing into her with an intensity that made her melt. "Hn, always so impatient, _my little kunoichi_. I believe I've told you before. Patience is a virtue. One that I _fully_ intend to teach you."

At that, his soft lips found her own, left hand trailing up her jaw line to tease the same lobe he'd nipped before finally coming to rest at the nape of her neck. Body on fire from his touch, Sakura moaned into his mouth, running her tongue along his lower lips in invitation. And yet, he resisted the offer, instead emitting a chuckle that had her insides quivering anew, his lips moving against her own at that same gentle, languid pace at which he'd started. It was beginning to drive her absolutely mad... _Well, he might wish to torture her, but she wasn't going to let him get away unscathed._ Asserting some control of her own, Sakura gripped onto Itachi's shoulders, pressing her nude torso flush against his clothed one. For a moment, she allowed herself to savor the delightful feeling of his powerful, warm chest through his thin shirt, still slightly damp from the rain. Then, tearing her lips from his, she eyed him coyly. "You know, _Itachi-san_ ," she murmured, right fingertips toying with the fabric at his neckline, "As a medic, I really must insist. We _need_ to get you out of these wet clothes _._ "

Dark eyes bled red, wordlessly telling her that she had struck gold. "Hn, I could be _amenable_ ," he replied darkly, a smirk playing across his lips. "Care to do the honors?"

* * *

In all honesty, he hadn't intended to sleep with her that night. He'd told himself forcefully and repeatedly that he _shouldn't._ It was unfair to her current, emotionally raw state, not to mention wildly inappropriate in light of the fact that he was in no position to ever return the love she'd confessed to holding for him. _She was already so attached; this would only make what was to come all the more painful..._

But he couldn't help it; he _never_ could when it came to Sakura. _And certainly not when she was propositioning him like_ that _._ For better or for worse, it appeared that the kunoichi had picked up a thing or two about seduction from their time together on Toki. His body was drained, his emotions were as raw as they'd ever been, and he craved the sweet release she promised.

Itachi could feel his arousal growing as her warm little hands ran up his abdomen, making quick work of his shirt. In a flash, they were back at his waist, fumbling slightly with the button on his pants, undoing the fly ( _ah, the feeling of those nimble fingers trailing over his crotch...)_ , and then yanking the fabric unceremoniously down his legs together with his boxer briefs, leaving him fully exposed. Centering himself on the bed, he stretched out and allowed his head to rest on her pillow, breathing in the sweet, familiar scent of honeysuckle. While he usually preferred to be the dominant one, given his current level of exhaustion _,_ he intended to leave the more active role to her tonight. Green eyes watched him curiously, and he met her gaze with an inviting smirk. "Sakura, come... _ride me_."

An appealing blush blossomed across the girl's pale face - _so, she was still somewhat shy when it came to sex, after all -_ and she nibbled her lower lip enticingly. A touch tentatively, she slipped off her bottoms, joining him in his nakedness, and came to kneel next to him on the bed, palms resting on the tops of her thighs and eyes locked unreadably on his face. _Hn, perhaps she was having second thoughts. Well, it was unfortunate, but it was only to be expected given the amount on her mind. Yes, best to put a stop to this before she feels compelled…_

Just as he wet his lips to speak, however, Sakura gave him a smile, a nod, and a game little "Hai, Itachi," before throwing her right leg over his pelvis. The result was _extremely_ nice, spurring his arousal to almost uncomfortable heights. For now that she was positioned above him, her thighs rested rather erotically on either side of his own, and he had an excellent view of her pert breasts and perky nipples, not to mention her rosy face and lust-hooded eyes. As his hands came to her bare hips, her body shivered at his touch, and he smirked with pleasure at the knowledge of how powerfully he affected her. _The feeling was mutual..._

"Kiss me," he commanded, and she immediately acquiesced, a curtain of pink falling around his face as she leaned over, hands gripping into the pillow on either side of his head. Her hardened peaks trailed along his chest, and he suppressed a groan at the touch. Savoring the sweetness of her lips, Itachi snaked his right hand from her hip, up her warm thigh, and towards her center. As he dipped two fingers inside her folds, teasingly stroking her sensitive bundle of nerves, Sakura let out a little gasp of surprise followed by a longing moan. _Ah, how he adored the sound of his name on her lips._

* * *

As Itachi's fingers worked their magic, Sakura's hips swerved against his hand in a familiar rhythm, mind and vision turning hazy in a cloud of lust and lips moving at an increasingly desperate pace against his. When he'd first invited her to be on top, she'd frozen with nerves. They hadn't tried anything like _that_ on Toki, and the position seemed like one that would put her in more control than ever before. _What if she made a mistake? If she turned out to be no good at it?_ It appeared that her concerns had been unfounded. _Oh, was it wonderful…_

Back arching, Sakura broke off their kiss and let out a moan, perilously close to her peak. She shut her eyes, anticipating the fireworks of her orgasm…. _Yes, oh yes… YES… wait. Why did he… stop?_ _Damn him!_ "Itachi… keep _going_ ," she pleaded, green eyes snapping open in frustrated rage, suppressing a sudden urge to smack him for the outrage.

" _Tch._ I promised I'd teach you patience, Sakura." He chuckled beneath her, red eyes blazing in frank amusement at her disgust. "Besides, I don't wish to _tire you out_ prematurely." Firm hands gripped onto her hips with renewed intensity, and Sakura rose back up so that she was seated astride him. A touch awkwardly due to the angle, she reached between them, grasping his member, and slowly began to stroke, index finger paying particular attention to his frenulum. Itachi let out a satisfied hiss, lips parting with desire and head pressing back into the pillow, and she smiled softly at the knowledge that she could do this to him. As she increased her speed, she noticed that he had begun attempting to pull her downwards rather forcefully. _Well, it_ _seemed that she was no longer the only eager one_. Pausing her ministrations, Sakura guided him to her entrance and slowly lowered herself, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips at the inexplicable sensations of being filled as her body enveloped _him_ inch by inch. "Ah, did I miss this," Itachi murmured blissfully one fully sheathed, and she felt a bubbly warmth inside at the un-Uchiha-like confession.

She rose up slowly, swirling her hips slightly, and then drifted back down, letting out a groan of delight at the pleasure the motion awakened. Repeating the motion, she fell into a gradual rhythm, Itachi's strong hips rising up to meet hers with each downward thrust, speed increasing as that elusive climax approached. As they moved, she could feel the tension of their earlier conversation slide off of her shoulders. At that moment, there was only him… only her… _only them_.

She could feel her body begin to shudder… _so close now_. And it appeared that she wasn't alone. Itachi's fingers dug into her sides in desperation, the slight pain heightening her pleasure, and he bucked powerfully, driving himself deeply into her with each downward motion. Vaguely aware that her panting had taken on a decidedly audible pitch and fearing the wrath of the old civilian widow who lived next door, Sakura clamped a hand over her mouth, eliciting a frown from the dark-haired man below her. " _No..._ I want... to _hear..._ you scream," he managed to grunt out. "A… jutsu's... in place…"

Bringing her left hand back to his right shoulder, Sakura leaned over the dark-haired man below her, lips reclaiming his in a searing kiss in an overwhelming desire for closeness. Once… twice… three more times they bucked into one another, and she reached her peak, losing herself in the depths of his swirling tomoe with a shuddering moan, her body spasming wildly in his sinewy arms. A few more hard, slow thrusts upwards into her spent form, and Itachi followed with a broken cry, eyes shutting at the intensity of his own climax.

He kissed her trembling lips tenderly, warm hands stroking along her back, and she sighed in postcoital bliss, muscles feeling all at once light and leaden. As she came up for breath, his dark lashes flitted open, and she watched, mesmerized, as ruby red eyes shifted back to obsidian, the fire that burned there, _for her_ , residing to a warm, satisfied lull. Growing increasingly aware of the coolness of the air on her naked flesh, Sakura leaned to her left to switch off the lamp and then rolled onto her side, pushing her way under the blankets. Itachi followed her lead a minute or two later, draping an arm across her waist, and they lay, together, in the darkness, as sleep overtook them.

* * *

Sakura woke with a start to the sound of knocking. The sun's rays streamed through the white curtains on her window, illuminating the handsome face of the dark-haired man beside her. In the morning light, his skin seemed paler than usual, the dark shadows and lines standing out starkly to give him a slightly weathered look that somehow magnified his beauty. _For he truly_ was _beautiful_ , Sakura found herself musing in her half-awake state, quickly becoming distracted from whoever dared disturb their slumber. _The delicacy of his features, the length of those lashes, the silkiness of his long, dark hair… he was almost otherworldly…_

BANG BANG BANG. "Saaa-kura-chan!" BANG BANG BANG. "Saaa-kura-chan! I _know_ you're in there!"

 _Oh Kami, she knew that voice. Naruto!_

On almost any other occasion, Sakura wouldn't really have minded the blonde-haired boy's presence outside her door. After four long years of travel with Jiraiya, he'd returned to the village for the first time last fall a good eight inches taller, fifty pounds heavier, and _possibly_ slightly more mature. While she didn't always show it, she'd been infinitely grateful, promising herself never to take him for granted again. For she'd realized during his long absence that Naruto was a precious part of herself, a light that helped keep her going in the face of the world's heavy uncertainties with his infectious optimism and steadfast beliefs in the innate goodness of humanity, the sanctity of friendship, and the healing powers of ramen. _Well, she could live without the third part of his ninja way, but the first two pieces more than made up for it._

At that moment, however, with Uchiha Itachi in her bed, seemingly dead to the world, Sakura very much wished that Jiraiya hadn't picked that particular morning for he and Naruto to return from whatever top-secret training mission they'd been on. _She was_ so _comfortable… and Itachi was so nice and warm next to her... maybe if she just ignored the_ baka _, he'd give up and go away? No, no, that would never work. Naruto was nothing if not persistent._ Blearily shaking her head, Sakura managed to rouse herself fully, finally and most unpleasantly coming to her senses. _Oh Kami, Itachi was in Konoha. In her apartment. In her bed. Completely naked. And she was naked. And Naruto was at her door. And he wanted to see her. Now. How was she going to keep Naruto out of her apartment?!_

Sakura gave the sleeping man beside her a quick kiss on his forehead, shaking his shoulder anxiously in an attempt to rouse him. _He couldn't leave now that it was light out… perhaps she could get him to hide in the bathroom? Or cloak himself in genjutsu? They_ were _ninja, after all._ She could try and cast some sort of masking jutsu herself, of course, but she'd yet to attempt that type of genjutsu application in a situation that mattered, and Naruto had become decidedly powerful in his old age. _No, her relatively run-of-the-mill jutsu wouldn't do it; she needed Itachi._ To her dismay, however, the Uchiha's eyelashes twitched in vague annoyance at being jostled, and he let out an exhausted groan that sounded suspiciously like "Go the fuck away." _Well, he_ had _been traveling for some time. And they'd had quite the conversation last night. And, speaking of last night..._

 _Ach! She was allowing her Inner to distract her again!_ "Itachi-san, I'm really sorry to disturb you, but Naruto's at the door," she whispered urgently. "You need to get up… _now!_ " Shrugging off her hand, the missing nin rolled off of his back and towards her, tightly clutching her to his too-warm chest as if he didn't have a care in the world. A bit thrown off by this behavior - _Whatever happened to those S-class reflexes? And all those promises about alarms? Did he_ want _to get caught? -_ Sakura willed herself to remain calm. _It appeared that he was going to be utterly useless, which meant that it was up to her to sort out Naruto._

Brushing away a dark strand of hair that had fallen across Itachi's nose, Sakura extricated herself from his hold and the bed sheets, quickly forming a plan. She climbed out of bed, crossed the room to her closet, and threw on her red silk robe, her eighteenth birthday present from Ino, tying it tightly around her bare body. Then, Sakura made for the door, opened it a crack, and poked her head out into the hall. Sure enough, she was greeted by a pair of startlingly blue eyes, staring down at her in unfiltered exasperation. _I'll never get used to being shorter than him,_ Sakura thought, a small smile playing across her lips as she remembered the pint-sized boy of their genin days. Reassembling her face into a stern frown as she brought herself back to the present - this was _no_ time for reminiscing - she glared up at her friend, doing her best to channel her _Shishou_ at her fiercest. "Naruto, _baka_ , keep it down! You'll wake everyone up!" She chided him in the loudest whisper she dared.

"But Saaa-kura-chan," the blonde drawled noisly, puppy dog eyes doing their damnedest to guilt her into contrition, "I just wanted to _see_ you. It's been ages. And I was worried! At our briefing this morning, _Baa-chan_ said you'd been kidnapped by _Uchiha Itachi_!"

Sakura could see the concern in his face, and she swallowed uncomfortably, not really sure how to disarm the situation. _Of course, Tsunade had mentioned her kidnapping to Naruto. Now she'd never get rid of him._ "Naruto-kun, I'm _fine_." She gave him a smooth smile of reassurance, hoping that the nervousness in her tone wouldn't give her away. "I uh, mean, hai, I _was_ kidnapped... but I'm okay! Ita - _the Uchiha_ \- didn't hurt me, and _Shishou_ and Kakashi and Ino-Pig have been really supportive..." _Now, if you'll just do me the kindness of going away and leaving me with said Uchiha…_

"Uh, okay, Sakura-chan, if you say so…" Naruto began, clearly not buying into her lie. "I _am_ your friend, you know. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Sakura should her head in a fervent "no," and the blonde gave her a sad smile that pulled rather painfully at her heartstrings. _Keeping things from Naruto was the worst._ "Well then... I was _also_ hoping I could tell you about my training? Only if you're up for it." _Ha, like he'd let her decline. He was positively vibrating with excitement at the prospect._ "Maybe... I could come in? Or we could go out? It's gotta be after ten… Ichiraku's should be open. We could get breakfast?"

 _Ramen for breakfast, what a nauseating thought. But she couldn't exactly let Naruto into her apartment, and she hadn't seen him in weeks. And she kind of owed it to him after keeping him at arm's reach._ "Fine, Ichiraku's," Sakura agreed with a little nod. "I'll meet you there in half an hour. I need to get showered and dressed."

Naruto grinned widely, the tension that had previously hung between them evaporating. Sakura returned the smile and moved to shut the door, the left shoulder of her robe shifting slightly with the motion. At that, the boy's eyes narrowed suspiciously, hand coming to the knob to stop her from shutting him out. "Say, Sakura-chan, you have a _funny_ bruise on your neck. And, now that I think of it, your hair looks kind of… messier than usual." Blue eyes widened dramatically. "Sakura-chan… did you… are you…. is there… _a_ guy _in your apartment?"_

 _Ugh, he'd grown far too observant in his old age. Damn Jiraiya's influence._ In a sudden fit of curiosity, the blonde attempted to pull the door open; however, she was, very fortunately, too quick and strong for him. Forgetting about her crotchety old neighbor, Sakura gave into her anger at his dangerously on-the-nose snooping. "NARUTO! LET GO! Ichiraku's! Thirty minutes!" With that, she slammed the door and bustled off to the shower, relieved to see that Itachi remained soundly asleep, a fluffy pillow thrown over his head in an obvious attempt to block out some of the noise and/or light. _That had been a bit too close for comfort. Also, for a missing nin, Itachi really was a heavy sleeper…_

* * *

Minus the glaringly obvious fact that 10:30 in the morning was far too early in the day for ramen, breakfast with Naruto ended up being a mostly pleasant affair. He'd evidently learned some tact somewhere in his travels _(or maybe he just felt guilty for prying back at her apartment door)_ , for he didn't actually press her too hard about the kidnapping _or_ the hickey, chivalrously allowing her to duck out of the conversation after promising he'd be there to talk about either or both points if she ever wanted to. Instead, he caught her up on everything he'd been up to with his master: bombing around the Land of Water (thinking back to Toki, Sakura resisted the sudden urge to ask him where exactly he'd been), finessing his collaboration jutsu with Gamatatsu, and, most intriguingly, visiting Mount Myoboku for the first time. "There's this technique, Sakura-chan… it's called Sage Mode. Pervy Sage uses it, and I'm going to learn! I'll be training with toads. The toads are nice, _dattebayo,_ but well, I just wish they had something to eat other than _bugs_..."

"Ah Naruto, always thinking with your stomach," Sakura giggled, picking around her half-full bowl with her chopsticks. _Oh, did it feel good to laugh._ "So, how does Sage Mode work?" While admittedly curious - if it was one of Jiraiya's secret techniques, it just _had_ to be interesting - she also hoped to keep the conversation firmly on her teammate _._

The blonde launched into a long-winded pseudo-explanation, a giddy smile slapped on his face, and a couple of points quickly became clear. One, whatever he'd be learning was a real monster of a technique, and, two, while undeniably enthusiastic, Naruto could really use more grounding in theory. His explanation was almost unintelligible, and the sprinkling of a good half-dozen " _dattebayos"_ through the course of the monologue wasn't helping matters. Admittedly, this didn't come as all that much of a surprise. Her friend had always been _dreadful_ when it came to written exams at the Academy, and Jiraiya didn't seem like the type for textbooks, even if he was a published author. That being said, knowing the root of Naruto's problem didn't make listening to him any easier. Despite her best efforts, Sakura found her mind gradually wandering back to the handsome man she'd abandoned in her bed. _Mm... he'd been so delightfully warm. W_ _hat she would give to be back there with him right now..._

An unpleasant thought struck the girl as she "hmm-ed" vaguely at something Naruto was saying about being one with nature. _He wouldn't do anything stupid like try to leave the village in broad daylight, would he? Perhaps it was time to plot her_ _ramen stand exit strategy._ Itachi didn't seem nearly as reckless as Sasuke, but he obviously thought quite highly of himself _(admittedly, for good reason)_ and had shown a distinct disregard for the abilities of Konoha's finest to detect his presence last night. Giving Naruto a cheery smile and pushing her bowl back on the counter, the kunoichi prepared herself to stand, racking her brain for some sort of excuse. Before she could utter a word, however, a familiar hand came around her right shoulder, causing her to jump what felt like a foot in the air.

"Yo."

 _Oh, great. Right on cue, in walks Kakashi._ His timing was, as always, stunningly inconvenient.

* * *

The silver-haired jonin stuck his head in the space between those of his two former students, an arm around each one's shoulders and a mask-covered smile on his face. There was something rather heartwarming about seeing the pair eating together in that same stand they'd frequented hundreds of times as genin. _And a touch of melancholy,_ he added, remembering the dark-haired spikes and trademark scowl of his third student. While he held a great deal of frustration towards the younger Uchiha for failing to see past his lust for revenge and turning his back on the teammates who would have given the world to keep him by their sides, Kakashi couldn't deny that the boy's absence affected him deeply, reminding him on an almost daily basis of his failings as an instructor and his own twisted adolescence. _But those thoughts were for another occasion… or, better yet, never. After all, emotions were dangerous things when allowed to fester..._

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cried with delight, a broad smile on his face as he looked up from what appeared to be his fourth bowl of ramen. "You're just in time, for once! Me and Sakura-chan were about to head out to the training grounds for a spar!"

"Oh?" Glancing over at Sakura, the Copy Ninja was rather bemused to see a look of vague exasperation on her lovely face. _There was the Sakura-chan he knew and loved._ After over a week of stilted politeness and feigned smiles - minus that one rather intriguing engagement on Training Ground 16 that he suspected was a slip-up on her part - it was a relief to see her behaving more like her old self.

"Naruto, I have to report to the hospital in just a few hours," the kunoichi griped, waving her left hand dismissively, "And I have... _paperwork_ to do." _Paperwork his ass…_ as a master of excuses, Kakashi could recognize a piss-poor one like that a mile off. _She hadn't even_ tried _to sell it… had she learned nothing from his years of tutelage?_

The blonde waved his hand dismissively. "There's _plenty_ of time for paperwork when I'm out of town, Sakura-chan! You in, sensei?"

Kakashi chuckled good-naturedly, ruffling Naruto's spiky hair. "Hm, why not? I understand from Master Jiraiya that you'll only be around for a couple of weeks." _And it's not like there was much else for him to do._ He'd already re-read the entire _Icha Icha_ series twice since Tsunade had grounded him, and most of the other jonin were currently off on missions. Turning his attention back to the sulky kunoichi, he gave her a small smile, visible eye crinkling. "Come on, Sakura-chan, it will be like old times."

For an instant, green eyes widened slightly, reminding Kakashi a bit of a cornered animal. _What was she so worried about?_ Then, her expression evened out into that same bland smile she'd been deploying since her return. "It sounds like fun, but I really need to get back to my apartment, Naruto-kun. Maybe some other time..."

"Oy, Sakura-chan, don't be so _lame_! What's the matter with you? If you really _have_ to go, me and sensei can come too and hang out until your shift! Team bonding!"

 _Ah, the dreaded team bonding._ Kakashi had to hand it to the boy... Sakura had successfully managed to put him off for days now, but it appeared that Naruto wasn't going to back down quite so easily _(not that he ever backed down from anything)_. He could tell from the kunoichi's body language that her anxiety was growing; she hid it far better than she used to, but the slight twitching of her palms on the counter was still a dead giveaway to his carefully trained eye. "Hm… what do you think, _Sakura-chan?_ " He asked, voice low as he eyed her pale face. He still felt a touch guilty about pushing her after all she'd likely been through with the Uchiha, but he _had_ to get the bottom of her strange behavior sooner or later. Tsunade might like to think otherwise, but he'd wager his signed first edition of _Icha Icha Paradise_ that there was more to the kunoichi's evasiveness than a simple desire to forget all about Uchiha Itachi.

"Hai, hai." Sakura nodded fervently. Looking into her lovely green eyes, he could see that she was running some sort of calculation. _What he would give to know what was going on in that mind of hers these days._ Turning back towards the blonde, she gave him a winning smile. "Fine, Naruto. A spar it is."

At that, Naruto cheered, instructed Teuchi to put the ramen on his tab ( _Kakashi_ _was unaware that Ichiraku's even did tabs, but, then again, Naruto was their best customer)_ , and seized the somewhat reluctant kunoichi's hand, hauling her onto her feet and through the curtains of the shop into the sun-kissed street. Eager to keep a close eye on his pink-haired ex-student - _for reconnaissance reasons, of course_ \- Kakashi slouched after them, trying to ignore the alluring scent of honeysuckle drifting off of her freshly washed hair. _It appeared that she was off of Pakkun's preferred brand. The pug would be disappointed, but he found that the new scent rather suited her..._

"Need to grab anything from your apartment, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as they passed by her street.

The kunoichi frowned slightly, and Kakashi noted with interest that the vague stab of fear from earlier had returned to her eyes. "Oh, _nooo_. That's okay! I'm fine in this. I think I have an old change of clothes at the office anyway."

 _So, she really doesn't want us hanging around her apartment now, eh?_ _Perhaps he'd drop by her window for an impromptu visit one of these days..._


	17. The Discovery

_[AN: So, after that output of steam, we're back to more emotional content. Thank you again for all the support! TipsyRacounter, so glad you enjoyed the Itachi-Kisame dynamic; I admittedly had a lot of fun writing it :). SomebodyLost, I'm right there with you when it comes to prying. Again, this story is rated M (language/mature content/general squeamishness), and I have no ownership of Naruto. Please, enjoy!]_

 **Chapter 17: The Discovery**

Returning home from the hospital slightly after one in the morning, Sakura cursed her misfortune. Between the _baka_ also known as Naruto, her suddenly clingy former sensei, and her twelve-hour shift, the kunoichi hadn't had a moment to herself since heading to Ichiraku's that morning. This meant, of course, that she'd been forced to leave Itachi alone in her apartment for the _entire day_. _Kami, if he got into any sort of trouble while she was gone, she'd_ never _forgive herself._ As her Inner was quick to remind her, she was being absolutely ridiculous - Itachi was no child - but she couldn't help worrying. Since her appointment to Team 7, she'd developed a bit of a "mother hen" complex, and playing host to a missing nin was decidedly anxiety inducing.

Unlocking the door to her apartment, Sakura fumbled for the little ceramic lamp that sat in the middle of her kitchen table. It appeared that Itachi had either left or gone back to sleep, for all the lights were off and his chakra signature was undetectable. Finally finding the switch, she turned it, and her eyes shot immediately to the bed, a soft smile coming to her lips at the discovery that it was occupied.

Sakura crept over to the sleeping Uchiha, a familiar warmth growing inside as she remembered their activities from last night. _Mm... would it be too much to request a repeat performance? Probably… he appeared to be sleeping quite deeply._ As she settled onto the edge of the bed and more closely examined his face, Sakura frowned slightly at the tension on his brow. _A nightmare?_ It wouldn't be all that much of a surprise given his history. Wishing to provide some relief and secretly hoping that he'd wake up, the kunoichi leaned over, gently pressing her lips to his clenched forehead. The sensation of his skin almost took her breath away.

 _He was burning up!_

* * *

The past twenty-four hours had not been kind to Uchiha Itachi, although they'd certainly started out nicely. Indeed, he'd fallen asleep an exceedingly happy man following his romp with Sakura. As he'd drifted off in the kunoichi's loving embrace, he'd found himself hazily wondering how he'd ever come to deserve such an enviable position. She was so soft, so warm, so kind, so _good_. Surely, with everything he'd done, every crime he'd committed, the shinobi gods hadn't suddenly seen fit to reward him with her love?

As his body decided to remind him around four-thirty in the morning, he deserved _nothing_ , possibly not even the manner of death he wished for. For he'd woken up drenched in a cold sweat, heart racing and lungs searing with an excruciating pain, more intense than any of his previous episodes. Thanks to the adrenaline, it only took him a few seconds to realize what had happened. So intent on reaching Sakura, it hadn't occurred to him that the need to completely mask his chakra to avoid detection _combined_ with the exertion of setting a protective layer of traps and buffers around the apartment _combined_ with the exhaustion of traveling at ANBU speed to Konoha all the way from Amegakure _combined_ with the steady stream of chakra he was forced to expend to suppress the symptoms of his illness _combined_ with the admittedly pleasant drain of his orgasm _combined_ with the illness's chakra-depleting effects was more than his body could sustain. Yes, for the first time in a good long time, he'd miscalculated, and he was suffering mightily for it.

 _Did he wake Sakura?_ She'd certainly done an efficient job of healing him back on Toki, and he had no doubt that she could do it again, yet he resisted the urge. He had already burdened her with so much, and he'd seen for himself just a few hours ago how much she cared for him. The idea of her finding out that his discomfort was due to something far more lethal than chakra exhaustion seemed needlessly cruel. _No, he would wait it out… it wasn't like he was in any serious danger. He'd give the symptoms some time to resolve and then take a pill in the morning after she left. He would make it through… he just wished his lungs didn't burn_ _so damn much_.

As the first rays of light crept into Sakura's room, Itachi finally managed to drift back to sleep, the soothing sound of the kunoichi's slow, steady breathing and the feeling of her little body next to his helping to ease his suffering. He slept for what he believed to be at least three or four hours before being startled awake sometime later by a dull pounding. _Was it his head or the door?_ Somewhat delirious, he was vaguely aware that Sakura was awake and was trying to get him to do… _something_. _Tch, couldn't she see he needed rest?_

Eager for her body heat and hoping she'd leave him alone if he immobilized her, he'd pulled her close to his chest, but she soon escaped the confines of his arms. With the bed to himself, he took possession of Sakura's pillow instead, throwing it over his head in an attempt to block out the light and noise permeating her apartment. The coolness of the fabric was decidedly appealing on his feverish forehead, and he lay like that for some time, until he was certain that she'd departed. Then, reaching a trembling hand out from the sheets, he managed to pull the little white bottle of pills that were his salvation out of the pocket of the pants that still lay on the floor from last night. Too nauseous to fetch himself water, Itachi swallowed a double dose dry, and lay quietly, counting his breaths, until sleep once again overtook him.

He dozed on and off for the rest of the day, waking each time the medication wore off to take another pill, use the bathroom, and help himself to some water. Food held no appeal, and, even if he'd wanted to eat, he was far too drained to even consider setting foot in the kunoichi's kitchenette. Still, despite the loss of appetite, his was a quasi-manageable state, and he found himself growing tentatively optimistic that he might just turn the corner on this particularly frightening episode without any assistance from Sakura.

That was, until his evening trip to the bathroom. As soon as Itachi entered, an overwhelming urge to vomit overtook him. Falling to his knees onto the white-tiled floor before the toilet, he immediately began coughing up wave after wave of blood, gasping for air in between each heave as his lungs, esophagus, and throat burned in sheer agony. Fingers gripped weakly onto the porcelain seat, and he shut his eyes tightly, wishing desperately that he could turn off the rest of his senses so easily. _The blood. There was so much blood… he could taste it, smell it, hear it, feel it on his lips. Oh gods, would it ever stop? Please, dear Kami, let it stop!_

After what felt an eternity, the torture subsided. Itachi wiped his lips with the back of his left hand in a futile attempt to rid his mouth of the harsh taste of iron. Then, hating the thought of Sakura returning to find him passed out on her bathroom floor, he rose onto his hands and knees, too drained to rise to his feet. Grimacing with the effort, he began a laborious crawl back towards the bed, muscles straining and undershirt quickly growing uncomfortably damp with cold sweat. Reached his long-discarded pants, Itachi retrieved the medicine bottle and swallowed the last remaining pill, shuddering at the burning sensation of the capsule on his raw throat. Finally, with his remaining strength of will, he agonizingly climbed back into Sakura's bed, hauling himself up with the assistance of the blankets. As he lay there, the world beginning to spin, a vision of dark, messy locks; round, chubby cheeks; soft, dark eyes; and an expectant smile swam before him. _I'm sorry, Sasuke. It doesn't look like there's going to be a "next time," after all..._

* * *

"Itachi… _oh please, Itachi,_ please wake up," Sakura whispered, heart racing, as she began performing an initial examination of his body. _Well, he's still breathing, and he has a pulse,_ she reassured herself, desperately attempting to keep calm. While she'd seen her dear ones wounded on more occasions that she cared to remember, she'd never treated anyone so important to her in such critical condition _by herself_ , and the situation utterly terrified her. _If I panic now, Itachi dies._

Sending out a few tendrils of chakra, Sakura quickly performed an internal assessment, fear growing as the results came back. His lungs were absolutely ravaged, and it appeared that several other organs - his kidneys, his liver, his heart - were beginning to suffer from the insufficient supply of oxygen. As for his chakra network… well, she understood now why she hadn't realized that he was even in the room before turning the lamp on. His signature was so faint as to be absent, and the usually steady flow of chakra through his body was haphazard and spastic. She'd observed on Toki that the Sharingan caused chakra strain, but this went far beyond anything of that ilk. _No, there was something dreadfully, lethally wrong... this man needed the hospital. STAT._

But of course, that was impossible. There was no way that she could just wheel Uchiha Itachi into Konoha General, no questions asked, and demand that he be placed under the care of her _s_ _hishou_. Even if the administrators decided to accept him as a patient - and they might, actually, given Medic Rule #12, Section 6, Part B, "On the Medical Care of Criminals" - he'd never survive the multi-hour processing that such a complicated case demanded. The Elders would need to be consulted, a vote would have to be taken, and, by the time he was cleared for treatment, the great and powerful Uchiha Itachi would require the morgue, not the emergency department. _Damned bureaucratic nonsense! No, it was up to her to help him. Or, at least, to stabilize him until she could figure out a way to get additional help._

Gritting her teeth, Sakura's hands glowed green as she began work, frustrated by the knowledge that her own chakra reserves were already low from the multi-hour back surgery she'd performed earlier that evening. _Well, there might only be so much she could do, but she would do her damnedest_. Starting with the Uchiha's lungs, the most grievously wounded of his organs, Sakura strove to reduce the irritation that was restricting his breathing. It appeared from the heavy degree of scarring on the tissue that whatever was causing his illness had been wreaking havoc for some time, and she realized with a sudden surge of irritation that _this_ must be why he'd refused to let her fully examine him on Toki. _It hadn't just been chakra depletion. He knew he was unwell then, and he'd hidden it from her!_ If he survived this experience - and that was definitely a big "if" - she would be giving dear Itachi-san quite the talking to.

As she shifted her attention from his lungs to his heart, the Uchiha's rattling breaths evened out, and a bit of color rose into his too-pale cheeks. _All good signs_. Via a nifty bit of manipulation that Shizune had first shown her a year or so ago, she coaxed his heart into a steadier, slower rhythm and then turned her attention to his liver and kidneys. Both organs seemed to be faring better now that their steady supply of oxygen had been restored, although he could still use an IV drip to deal with the effects of dehydration. Finally, aware that she only had a bit of chakra left, Sakura turned her attention to Itachi's own depleted network, transferring as much of her own energy to him as she dared in an attempt to even out the wild flow of chakra.

Sighing heavily as she felt her limit approaching, Sakura withdrew from the Uchiha's body, the green glow of energy fading from her hands. By her assessment, he seemed worlds better that when she'd first examined him, but the state of his lungs was still deeply troubling. Tapping into a bit of her precious reserves, Sakura performed a quick medical ninjutsu, dropping him into a coma. It was more as a precautionary measure than anything else and would hopefully ensure that he received a good night's sleep. Then, with the knowledge that she could do no more for him that night, Sakura kissed the man softly on the forehead and headed off to the bathroom for a quick shower, utterly exhausted but hopeful that the Uchiha would make it through the night.

* * *

The Copy Ninja hopped along the rooftops (his preferred means of in-town travel), cat-like (although he really wasn't a cat person), savoring the warmth of the early morning sun. He was feeling distinctly _good_ about the day. For one, he was fairly confident that today was the day that Tsunade was finally, _finally_ going to put him back on active duty. It had been well over a week since he'd started her mandatory staycation, and she couldn't hold out forever. He didn't like to toot his own horn - it was, to borrow a phrase from the Nara heir, decidedly troublesome - but he knew he was a valuable asset to the village and suspected that his availability for certain, more unsavory (ie, S-class assassination) missions had been dearly missed. According to Genma - and the rogue _would_ know, given his ongoing flirtation with Shizune - the Hokage had been forced to resort to sending _Gai_ on one such assignment a few days ago. Kami knew that such tasks were _not_ where the taijutsu master's strengths lay. High-level political assassinations demanded a certain level of delicacy, and Gai was, bless his heart, many things, but not so much subtle.

In addition to sensing his freedom approaching, Kakashi was also basking in the aftermath of yesterday's spar with Sakura and Naruto. While he fully admitted that he could take little to no credit for his former students' development - _well, he supposed he could claim_ some _responsibility for Sasuke, but he wasn't sure he cared to, most unfortunately_ \- it still pleased him immensely to see how far the duo had progressed since their genin days. They'd _both_ become formidable combatants and, most importantly in his mind, quality people. Sure, Naruto was a bit of a brash and overly optimistic headcase and Sakura had some distinct anger management and confidence issues, but they were honest, upstanding shinobi, and their hearts were certainly in the right places.

Kakashi dropped down to the ground in the middle of the marketplace, seeking out a particular food cart. It was a bit early, half past seven, but he suspected that Watanabe-san's rice ball stand was already up and doing a bang-up business. After all, it had grown exceedingly popular ever since its appearance in "Best of Konoha" at the start of the year. Sure enough, Watanabe Fumito stood under a bright red sign, advertising a whole slew of onigiri in flavors ranging from the traditional seaweed and roe to more unusual options including chocolate, pineapple-curry, and mango-mint. He looked a bit like a rice ball himself, pear-shaped and pasty in his white chef's jacket, a jovial smile splayed across his round face. Sidling up to the stand, Kakashi nodded in greeting, and Watanabe grinned back, straw hat bobbing precariously on his head. "Ah, Hatake-san, what'll it be today? The usual broiled miso eggplant?"

"Hai, I'll take one of those and a seaweed. Also, throw in a honeyed umeboshi and a chocolate, will you?"

"Why, Hatake, diversifying your palate, eh?" The man asked, beady eyes glittering in good-natured amusement. "I never forget a client's tastes, and I could have sworn yours leaned distinctly savory…"

"You're not wrong, Watanabe-san. I'm also picking up breakfast for a friend of mine."

The salesman passed him two little white bags, chuckling slightly. "Oh, yes? If you don't mind my asking, Hatake-san, who's the lucky lady?"

Kakashi shifted in vague discomfort. He'd forgotten how dang gossipy Watanabe Fumito could be. Besides, his relationship with Sakura-chan was _nothing_ like that. _Obviously._ And even if it was - _and it wasn't!_ \- it wasn't really something the village at large needed to know about. He glanced at his watch-less wrist, adopting that light, airy tone that could get him out of almost anything. "Ah, Watanabe-san, I'd love to stay and chat, but look at the time. Best be going... the ninken aren't going to feed themselves." With that, the silver-haired man gave Watanabe a little salute and took back to the rooflines, headed straight for a certain pink-haired kunoichi's apartment.

* * *

Following Itachi's emergency treatment session, Sakura had taken a too-quick shower and then climbed into bed over the unconscious Uchiha, a touch lightheaded from the slight overuse of her chakra. Casting that last bit of medical jutsu had probably been overkill, but she'd never been one to value herself over her patients. Despite her exhaustion, it had taken a good hour for her to drift off. And, when she finally did, she slept fitfully, mind swirling with a series of absolutely horrific images. Itachi, imprisoned in chakra cuffs, blinded, and dying, undergoing torture at the hand of masked Konoha ANBU... Sasuke, devastatingly handsome with his angular jaw and windswept hair, soft lips inches from her own, opening his eyes to reveal the golden snake orbs of Orochimaru... Naruto, consumed by the burning orange and black avatar of the Kyuubi as a cohort of men in black-and-red-patterned robes bore down on him. _Itachi… Sasuke… Naruto… oh please, no… NO!_

A light tapping startled the kunoichi from her nightmares. Blearily rubbing her eyes and sitting up in bed, she was surprised to see that it was morning already. Nipples perked beneath her thin white tank top as the blanket fell off, exposing her torso to the cool morning air. The memories of last night flooding back to her all at once, her attention went immediately to the Uchiha, and she smiled softly at his handsome visage. His color looked a great deal better this morning, and he didn't seem to be in any overt pain, although she could tell just by a quick probing of his chakra channels that he was still dreadfully weak and drained. Then, remembering the strange noise that had disturbed her in the first place, the kunoichi looked left, and she found herself wondering if perhaps the dreams she'd been having, terrible as they'd been, were preferable to her reality.

For her sensei, Hatake Kakashi, was sitting on the tree branch that was just outside her window, Sharingan eye exposed and silver hair gleaming in the sunlight, clad in his usual jonin vest and clutching two little white bags and a half-eaten onigiri. And both eyes were locked on her. And, _oh Kami_ , did he look angry. _How had she been so stupid not to have even tried to put up any buffers or illusions last night? Or even shut the damn curtains? Oh, right, she'd been a little preoccupied saving Itachi's life..._

For a moment, Sakura seriously considered yanking the curtain shut and hiding her head underneath her pillow. But no, flight was definitely off the table. Kakashi had already seen absolutely _everything_ , and he certainly wasn't going to up and leave or forget anytime soon. And there was no way in hell that she could move or disguise Itachi. While he seemed to be recovering, he was too weak to go anywhere, and, with his Sharingan, Kakashi could easily see through any genjutsu she tried to throw at him. Besides, judging from the flames in his mismatched eyes, he already knew well the identity of her bedmate. Yes, it appeared that the jig was very much up… all she could do now was hope that a full explanation would save them and, if that failed, pray for mercy.

Climbing over Itachi's motionless body rather inelegantly, Sakura hauled herself out of bed, vaguely aware that her top was embarrassingly sheer and her bottoms - black and white lace boyshorts - decidedly minimal. Perhaps it would be best to slip into something a bit more modest, but judging from the look of sheer rage outside, she really didn't have a moment to spare. Opening the window, Sakura leaned onto the sill, staring into the man's irate face in utter desperation. "Kaka-sensei, _please_ … I swear, I can explain everything. I promise!" As he glared daggers at her, she was forcefully reminded of the genjutsu Kakashi back on Toki. At the time, the vision had utterly terrified her, but it turned out that the real thing was infinitely worse.

* * *

 _Well, this was certainly unexpected._ Kakashi had known that there was something extremely funny going on with Sakura and that the odds were quite good that her behavior stemmed from her time with the Uchiha. The changes she'd exhibited following her return to the village hadn't exactly surprised him, but were certainly worthy of investigation. Given her reticence to speak about anything related to her two weeks in captivity, however, the leads had at first been few and far between. That was, until yesterday morning, when Naruto had inadvertently dragged out the fact that Sakura was suddenly extremely resistant to house guests. So, what was a good ninja to do? Scout out her apartment early the next morning, of course. If he was right, he'd hopefully get to the bottom of whatever mysterious activity was bothering the kunoichi so much. And if he was wrong… well, he'd brought her breakfast, which seemed a perfectly reasonable, if uncharacteristically charitable, excuse for an early morning drop-in.

As it happened, his hunch about the apartment had been correct. He just hadn't expected to find Uchiha Itachi literally sleeping with his scantily clad ex-student. And for _her_ to rush to the missing nin's defense.

He was usually a pretty easygoing man, but the current situation rankled him. Barely fifteen minutes ago, he'd been thinking about what a wonderful asset the kunoichi was to Konoha and, now, well, she was fraternizing with the enemy; harboring a decidedly dangerous, S-class missing nin in her apartment; and _pleading_ with him to be complicit? Was this _really_ his Sakura-chan? _Or perhaps she was under the influence of some sort of mind-control jutsu…._ The Uchiha wielded the Mangekyo Sharingan, after all, and, as Uchiha Shisui had shown, those eyes could certainly have that capacity. Although, according to intelligence reports and everything Kakashi himself had witnessed, Itachi possessed _Amaterasu_ and _Tsukuyomi_ only. _Perhaps the Uchiha had developed a faculty with additional Sharingan abilities?_ The true potential of the Mangekyo was, after all, shrouded in mystery, and given the man's reputation as a prodigy, Kakashi wouldn't put it past him.

Willing himself to remain calm - if her mind had been tampered with, there was no point in causing her additional grief - Kakashi considered his next move, grey eyes locked on terrified green. _Infiltrate the apartment and take the Uchiha prisoner? Subdue them both and send Pakkun for Tsunade?_ Perhaps in due course... but he intended to hear her out first. This was _Sakura_ , after all; given what a shoddy excuse for a sensei he'd been, he owed her as much. Moreover, even if she was committing an unforgivable crime, he'd rather not see her thrown to the wolves in Interrogation. Sakura was a good deal tougher than she'd once been, but she still wouldn't stand a chance against the likes of Ibiki and Inoichi. And, besides, he was, admittedly, _very_ curious about what she could possibly have to say to even begin to attempt and sway him.

Giving the girl a stony nod, Kakashi climbed through her apartment window, laying down the appropriate noise-cancelling and vision-obscuring jutsus as she shut the window behind him. _It was exceedingly strange that the Uchiha hadn't taken care of casting anything himself._ Straightening up, the Copy Ninja took in the scene, eyes quickly roving over the sparse decor, the tidy desk, the tweest kitchenette he'd ever laid eyes on, and the telltale rumpled clothing on the floor. Suppressing a stab of something vaguely reminiscent of jealousy and satisfied that nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary (beyond the missing nin, of course), he quickly scanned Sakura - wide eyes locked on his face and arms crossed rather self-consciously across her chest - and finally, Uchiha Itachi himself, who remained, bizarrely, fast asleep in the kunoichi's bed.

Sakura evidently noticed his staring. "He's sick," she murmured softly, a worried frown drifting across her face. "I put him in a medical coma last night."

 _Mah, did the sick fuck twist her mind around._ "Sakura... I shouldn't have to remind you that Uchiha Itachi is a _missing S-class nin_ , a murderer, an enemy of _your_ village, and a member of the Akatsuki. And, on a more personal note, he wants two of our teammates, Naruto _and_ Sasuke, dead. Whether he's ill or not is really no concern of ours, and keeping him hidden in Konoha..." He trailed off, scratching the back of his head uncomfortably as he considered how he could possibly make the absurdity of her current behavior any more obvious to her. "Well, it's treason…"

The kunoichi shifted on her feet, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. "Sensei, _please_. Itachi-san… he's really not what you think. He's a _good_ man. I know this is going to sound unbelievable and it's admittedly a very long story that I'm not sure I've received all the details on, but... he's trying to help _protect_ Konoha, to _save_ Sasuke from Orochimaru! When he killed his clan, he didn't have a choice! _Please_ , you have to believe me!"

She'd started out a touch hesitantly, but as she picked up momentum, Sakura's emerald eyes glowed self-righteously and her voice grew in tenor. Her earnestness affected Kakashi far more deeply than he cared to admit, and he found himself suddenly wishing that he could believe her. He assessed the girl's flush face carefully, scanning it with his Sharingan for any sign of confusion. _Well, she certainly didn't seem addled… scratch the mind manipulation theory._ He'd seen his fair share of mental victims in ANBU, and they were never so emotionally desperate when speaking of memories that had been tampered with. _Which meant, either Sakura was lying to him - but she really hadn't ever been much of a liar - or... was the impossible possible, after all?_ Could _Uchiha Itachi be, as she'd put it, "good"?_

From Kakashi's perspective, at least one of Sakura's claims checked out. After all, he'd known at least some of the truth behind the Uchiha massacre before it was even committed. His heart beat rather uncomfortably in his chest as he remembered how Itachi had come to him in the early hours of the morning, confessing his murderous intent, advising him that his clan was plotting against Konoha, proclaiming it his duty as heir to put a stop to it, and asking him to… _well, there was no use dwelling now on_ what _exactly Uchiha Itachi had asked for..._

While Itachi had claimed full responsibility at the time, the Copy Ninja had theorized in the days, and weeks after that there had to be something, or someone, else behind it. A coup _was_ indefensible, but the murder of hundreds of people, many of them innocents, women, and _children_ , had struck him as strangely excessive for a man who avoided conflict whenever possible. After hearing of Itachi's alignment with the Akatsuki, Kakashi had come to the disappointing conclusion that he had simply misjudged the Uchiha, that the man had hidden away his bloodlust until the moment was ripe. But now, well, Sakura's revelation that Itachi had been coerced made a lot more sense than his previous "psychopath in sheep's clothing" theory. Although it did beg the question of _who_ had done the coercing. And how. _And why_.

 _But setting that rather intriguing lead aside for the time being…._ If he accepted that the Uchiha _had_ been blackmailed into killing his clan, that it hadn't been an act of overdone revenge signalling the blackness of his soul, what did that say about the man's subsequent actions and current worldview? Did the fact that he might not have _wanted_ to commit such violence against his own people even matter in light of his crimes as a rogue nin? Konoha intelligence was somewhat hazy, but his understanding was that the Uchiha had joined the Akatsuki soon after defecting, which meant that he'd been complicit in a decade of criminality. Sakura claimed that he remained a loyal Konoha nin, but given the years of kidnapping, murder, theft, and Kami knew what else, it was hard to see it.

* * *

Sakura eyed Kakashi nervously, desperate to know what was going on behind his mask but not daring to ask. With nothing to do but wait for him to process whatever he was digesting, she found herself growing rather embarrassed by her state of undress. It was just her old sensei, and it wasn't like he was paying any attention to her _(or even cared; given his age and choice in literature, he'd_ definitely _seen it all before)_ , but he _was_ a man, and sheer tanks and panties felt decidedly more intimate than the practical chest bindings and spandex shorts she favored on missions. Sakura darted to the closet and plucked out her robe, tying the bright red sash snuggly around her waist. Then, with Kakashi still deep in contemplation and hoping to distract herself from the verdict that was inevitably forthcoming, she settled on the edge of the bed and began to run a full diagnostic scan of the Uchiha's body.

The results were quite promising. His chakra levels appeared to have recovered fairly well over the course of the night, and his heart, kidneys, and liver were all pretty much back to normal (unfortunately, she couldn't say the same of his fragile lungs). He was rather dehydrated, however, and that wasn't going to go away on its own. It seemed that he'd managed to keep himself somewhat hydrated through the course of the previous day, but given that he'd now been asleep for at least twelve hours and had experienced several episodes of fever sweats, his body needed fluids. Without access to the hospital, her only hope was to wake him up and force him to drink. Chakra could accomplish much, but there were limits, and increasing fluid intake still had to be done the old-fashioned way.

Green eyes switched back to Kakashi's imposing figure. "Sensei, I'm going to need to bring Itachi-san around now," she told him, urging her voice to fall into the authoritative cadence she'd developed during countless hours in clinic. "He's showing symptoms of dehydration, and I don't want it getting out of hand." Shaken out of his reverie, the Copy Ninja's mismatched eyes narrowed slightly, snapping to her face, and Sakura was left with the distinct impression that he was sizing her up. _Like an enemy…_

Seemingly satisfied that she had no malicious intent, he nodded shortly, and she went about dispelling the medical ninjutsu, palms coming together over the Uchiha's bare chest. Out of her periphery, she noticed her sensei's shoulders tensing slightly, evidently prepared to subdue the man if he tried anything. _But he wouldn't._ She wasn't sure he even _could_ given the current state of his lungs, and the thought rather depressed her. There was just something so jarring about seeing this noble, infinitely capable man reduced to a worn out shell.

She waited, breath bated, as the minutes ticked by, yet Itachi showed no sign of waking, his face set in a peaceful, almost corpse-like, mask. _Usually, it didn't take nearly this long for patients to come to…_ _was something wrong? Surely, his brain hadn't been impacted by the stress his body had been under last night?_ She hadn't noticed any mental abnormalities when she scanned him just a few minutes ago. _Had she missed something?_ Sakura was usually perfectly confident in her medical abilities, but her inability to rouse him was beginning to rattle her. _If only she could call Tsunade in for a consult..._

"Sakura, is everything all right?" Kakashi's voice cut through the silence, startling her slightly. For a moment, she'd forgotten that he was even in the room with her.

"I'm… not sure," she admitted, eyes flickering to the jonin's face. _Was it just her imagination, or did he look rather worried himself?_ He was watching the Uchiha closely, and the look of intense dislike that had been there earlier had vanished, replaced by something decidedly more… _complicated._ "I cancelled the jutsu, but he's not waking up."

"I… see." He eyed her rather helplessly, and Sakura found herself wishing not for the first time that all jonin were required to have at least some training in medical ninjutsu. It was extremely frustrating how little even extremely capable, highly intelligent shinobi like her sensei knew about medical care. "Do you know what's wrong?"

"If I knew _that_ , he wouldn't be unconscious," she replied shortly, realizing that she was skimming the line of rudeness but not really caring in her growing concern. "I mean, his lungs are basically one solid mass of scar tissue, and his chakra is still pretty depleted, but that shouldn't be preventing him from waking up. I must be _missing_ something..."

Sakura paused, considering her options. The jutsu she'd used was one of Tsunade's creations, and the blonde remained the best medic in the Leaf, if not the world. If anyone could figure out this current mystery, the Godaime could. _Hmmm… perhaps it_ was _worth risking her shishou's involvement after all_. She'd initially resisted the idea of running to her mistress. Involving Tsunade in any sort of plot was particularly risky given her responsibility to the village, not to mention the looming threat of the High Council that scrutinized her every move. _And if they found out that Uchiha Itachi of all people was back in Konoha and that Tsunade herself had_ helped _him… well, given what he'd said about the High Council and their role in the massacre, the implications were terrifying._ But it seemed they were running out of options, and she'd learned a thing or two about gambling in her five years under the Hokage.

Mind made up, Sakura locked the Copy Ninja with a fierce stare, face solemn and spine ramrod straight. "Kakashi… can i trust you?"

Silence. Those familiar, steel grey and blazing red eyes ran over her, impenetrably pensive. Resisting the urge to look away or blink, she stood firm under his gaze, mind racing with thoughts of the man lying next to her… and his brother. _For if Itachi died here, today, so too did their hope of recovering Sasuke..._

"Hai, Sakura-chan. You can trust me." Kakashi's eyes shifted to Itachi, and a very different emotion seemed to come over him. "As you may remember from your genin days, those who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their _friends_ are worse."

With Kakashi's cooperation secured, Sakura darted back to her closet, grabbing a tunic and a pair of leggings, and dashed into the bathroom. Throwing on her clothes, she rushed to the front door, eager to reach Tsunade as fast as humanly possible. Itachi's condition was stable, but she knew well that it could change at any time. "Ah, Sakura, before you go…"

She looked up in vague surprise from the boots she'd been fastening as Kakashi formed a series of hand seals, summoning his pug ninken. "Pakkun, you'll be escorting Sakura to the Hokage's office." _Surely, he didn't think she was about to run on him?_

"Hai, boss. You ready, Pinky?"


	18. The ANBU Reunion

_[AN: This is another dialogue-heavy chapter. The preceding chapters have built up to the discussions that occur/occurred/will occur in this chapter, the previous, and the next. Hopefully, you'll feel that I've done justice to the set up! Comments, follows, and favorites are, as always, greatly appreciated. As usual, this story is rated M. Please note that this chapter does reference underage relationships/abuse in the context of the past. No harm is intended, and nothing of this ilk is depicted or in any way detailed in an extensive fashion, but reader discretion is advised, as always. Finally, I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 18: The ANBU Reunion**

" _Deceptively gentle hands tangled their way through his thick locks, each tantalizing touch a promise for the events to come. Feeling the intensity of her amber gaze upon him, he dragged his eyes upwards from her ample chest, and the vision before him made his mouth go dry with desire. For the buxom blonde eyed her would-be lover with undisguised lust, rosy lips parted mere inches from her own, demanding to be claimed. And have them he would. Hiroki had been pursuing this woman, this difficult, delightful, sinfully luscious woman, for months now, and, tonight, she was finally within his grasp…"_

 _No, it was no use._ Jiraiya's words were as artful as ever, yet not even they could take Kakashi's mind off of the predicament into which he'd stumbled.

The Copy Ninja sat at Sakura's cheap kitchen table, leaning back in his too-small chair, long legs sticking out before him, left arm behind his head for some extra neck support, and right hand clutching a dog-eared copy of _Icha Icha Violence_ in front of his face. Despite his best efforts to forget about his current companion, he found his eyes drifting away from the page and toward the kunoichi's bed, where the dark-haired man lay, chest slowly rising and falling as he slept on. _If someone had told him when he'd woken up that morning that he'd be babysitting Uchiha Itachi within the hour, he would have assumed he'd been drinking. Or gone insane._

It wasn't like he'd had much of a choice. _Someone_ had to fetch Tsunade, and Sakura would be able to fill her in regarding the Uchiha's condition far better than he or Pakkun. For, while Kakashi held significant doubts regarding the veracity of some of Sakura's claims ( _most of them, really_ ), he fully accepted her conclusion as a medical professional that the man was seriously ill and in need of Tsunade's attention.

Yes, the more he thought about it, bringing in the Godaime was the right move, and not just because he cared whether Uchiha Itachi lived or died. It was clear that the decision of how to move forward was not his to make. Even if Sakura hadn't been her apprentice, the Hokage, together with the High Council, stood responsible for all judgments regarding high-level crimes and criminals. And _he_ certainly wasn't about to interfere with any of those procedures. Having been in the shinobi business for over twenty-five years, Hatake Kakashi knew his place, and, at that particular moment, he was exceedingly grateful for it. _Yes, this whole Uchiha matter was one headache that he was very much looking forward to foisting upon someone else. Once Tsunade arrived, he would be disentangling himself in as short an order as poss..._

A dry cough suddenly sounded across the room, shattering the silence and Kakashi's thoughts. _Oh for fuck's sake. Of all the times that the Uchiha could have possibly decided to snap out of his coma._ Well, he had to admit, as a relative master of inconvenient timing, it was utterly no fun to have the tables turned.

* * *

 _Water… he needed water. His throat was sandpaper..._

 _Tch, focus. Remember… A face… Sasuke. But before that..._

 _The taste of iron._

 _Blood._

 _Copious quantities of blood._

 _And pain… searing pain..._

 _Ah. He'd been... dying. How strange. Was_ this _what death felt like? No, that couldn't be right. Dead men wouldn't kill for water, would they?_

Dark eyes opened to slits. It was morning; the pale light shone softly through a window to his left, and he seemed to be... in a bed. An exceedingly soft bed that smelled rather pleasantly of honeysuckle. Which meant... this was _Sakura's_ bed. _Hn, perhaps he had died, after all? But no, there was no place in heaven for one such as him, and hell could never be so soft, white, and floral. Could it?_

He shut his eyes again, and the memories came flooding back. _Arriving at Sakura's apartment… their subsequent conversation and her confession… making love… falling asleep and then… pain. So much blood and pain…_.

But he seemed to be a good deal better than he'd been. Well, minus the utter exhaustion and the dry mouth. Someone - _Sakura_ \- must have healed him. _But where was she?_ There was someone else in the room, he didn't need his eyesight to tell him that, but it wasn't the kunoichi. Opening his eyes fully this time, he coughed dryly and then, relying heavily on his arm strength, laboriously pushed himself up to a seated position, leaning back against the pillows for support. Spotting a glass of water on the bed stand, he seized it and downed the contents greedily. Then, throat slightly less parched, he turned his attention to his companion, taking in the familiar shock of silvery hair, mismatched eyes of Sharingan and grey, telltale mask, and the burgundy cover of a beat-up book.

"Yo."

"Ah, Hatake Kakashi." _His voice sounded pretty damn good, all things considered._ "I see you retain your questionable choice in literature."

* * *

Kakashi was rather startled by the Uchiha's opener, not that he'd ever show it. He shrugged in feigned nonchalance. "Judgmental as ever, Uchiha-san." _Yes, two could play this game._

A strained silence fell. Eager for a distraction from his discomfort, the Copy Ninja eyed the cover of his book but quickly thought better of it. Even if supposedly on death's door, the man across the room remained a dangerous adversary. Instead, his eyes roved over his companion in a cool appraisal. The shadows and lines on his face were more pronounced than he remembered and his coloring was too pale, yet those features combined with his long, dark hair and deep, black eyes to give him a certain, alluring quality that was, well, rather intriguing. _Just don't make eye contact._ From what Sakura had said, the missing nin was likely too weak to activate his Sharingan, much less pull him into the world of _Tsukuyomi_ , but he wasn't about to tempt fate.

The Uchiha licked his thin lips. "Where is the kunoichi?" His voice was slightly raspy, yet retained that inky steadiness he remembered from their days together in ANBU.

"Ah, Sakura-chan? Gone to get the Hokage."

"Hn."

Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest, the back of his neck growing warm. Despite his better judgment, he could feel his hackles rising at the Uchiha's bored tone and gaze. He _knew_ it was likely intentional - Itachi had always had ironclad control of his affect and subscribed fully to the dictum that a shinobi must never show emotion - yet the sheer arrogance behind the expression was getting to him. _Given that the bastard slept with her, the least he could do was refer to her by name. Did he realize what Sakura was doing? That she was risking her reputation, her career, her freedom, and possibly her life for his sake? Damn it all. He hadn't wanted to further involve himself, but_ abandoning _Sakura to this mess…. No, he couldn't do it. Not to_ her _._ "Tell me, why did you _seduce_ her?"

"Ah, so you intend to interrogate me, Hatake-san," Itachi replied smoothly, eyes flashing in amusement. _Or was that anger?_ "I think you'll find I know you and your techniques too well for _such nonsense_. If it's information you want, perhaps we could strike a deal. An answer for an answer."

"And what information do I have to offer _you_ , Uchiha-san?" His arrogance was truly something. The Uchiha was a _prisoner_ , too ill to even climb off of the bed on which he was lying, and yet he was bargaining as if _he_ were the one holding a hostage.

The man smirked, and Kakashi felt an unwelcome heat rise up within him at the sight despite his current ire. The effect was… _troubling_ to say the least; he could feel the back of his neck redden further, and this time, it wasn't entirely due to anger. _Well, he might be a bastard, but he was, admittedly, an extremely good-looking one_. "I understand that you were my _otouto's sensei_ , Hatake-san. It would _interest_ me to hear your take on Sasuke."

* * *

Itachi eyed his companion carefully, scanning the visible part of his face as his mind quickly ran some calculations. He hadn't intended to loop anyone else in Konoha beyond Sakura into his plan to face Sasuke, but it appeared that he no longer had such a luxury. _Well, there was no use sulking._ As much as he wished to have nothing to do with him, there was officially no avoiding the Copy Ninja.

 _Hn, perhaps he could use this development to his advantage._ After all, despite his faults, his former _Taichou_ had always been one to listen before reaching judgment and knew something of the truth behind the massacre already. _And, of course, for better or for worse, they had a history._ As for Tsunade, well, he would cross that formidable bridge when he came to it, although he hoped that his connections to Jiraiya and Sakura would pull him through. He didn't know the woman personally, but, from what Sakura had said, the Godaime bore no love for the High Council, and he rather doubted that she'd go running off to Danzo given her close connection to the Sandaime. _Yes, he could work with this situation._

He had to admit, Kakashi's ability to mask his emotions remained impressive. To almost anyone else, he would have appeared cool, calm, and collected as ever, but the Uchiha was better, even without his Sharingan. He could hear the well-suppressed anger in his voice, see the glimmer of curiosity in his eye, the incredulity on his brow, the discomfort on his shoulders. _Yes, he had Hatake right where he wanted him. Now, he just had to execute._ "Regarding the kunoichi… there's little to say. I kidnapped her because I had... _need_ of her. I intend to seek out Sasuke in the coming week. I don't know how much she's told you, but it is my wish to return my brother to Konoha, and I anticipate that Sakura's connection to my brother will be immeasurably useful in this regard. Not to mention her considerable abilities as a medic." Despite his irritation, Itachi resisted the urge to correct Kakashi's insinuation that his intimacy with Sakura had been a "seduction." It was an exceedingly distasteful fabrication, but there was really no need to expose the true nature of his feelings… _and certainly not hers._

"I see. Why the sudden interest in your brother's fate, Uchiha-san?"

Itachi smirked, an admittedly twisted part of him enjoying their verbal spar and pleased to have the upper hand. "Tch. An answer for an answer."

Kakashi nodded curtly. _It seemed they had a deal._ "You wanted to hear about Sasuke, hm? Well, after you… _left_ , he remained a capable student - intelligent, talented, eager to learn, driven - top of his class at the Academy. As a genin and part of my Team 7, he demonstrated affinities for fire and lightning. In addition to your clan's fire jutsus and his Sharingan, he mastered Chidori ahead of the Chunin exam."

Thanks to Jiraiya, none of this was actually news, but Itachi nodded anyway, not willing to reveal his relationship with the Toad Sannin. _At least, not yet_. "Your genin team must have been a challenge, Hatake. The jinchuuriki _and_ my brother, neh?" _Perhaps he could draw out more regarding his brother's relationship with the jinchuuriki._ While he understood from Jiraiya and Sakura that their ties ran deep, he'd wondered about the exact nature of the dynamic for some time, and his recent conversation with Kurama had peaked this interest. _Could the Sandaime have somehow foreseen the potential of Sasuke's dojutsu?_

Kakashi snorted. "That's putting it mildly. Between Naruto and Sasuke, there was never a dull moment. They came to share a close bond, but they were at one another's throats constantly. Sarutobi-sama certainly did me no favors. Not that I, ah, necessarily _tried_ particularly hard to stop them…"

He drifted off with a surprisingly gentle smile. His words weren't exactly flattering, but Itachi could hear the deep-seated affection behind them. "Ah. Well… your assignment to Sasuke was my doing." At that, silver brows shot up in surprise towards his hairline. "Before I defected from Konoha, the Sandaime promised to ensure that my _otouto_ would receive the finest training the village could offer." The Uchiha paused, giving Kakashi an amused smirk. "I must admit, I _hadn't_ anticipated him choosing you."

* * *

The Uchiha's sudden willingness to disclose so much information was rather disconcerting. _Almost as strange as his interest in Sasuke._ Itachi had _never_ been one to let people in, even when he'd served under him in ANBU, and the fact that he was readily revealing his secrets seemed highly uncharacteristic. _Unless, he was_ trying _to get Kakashi to trust him. Perhaps there was something to Sakura's seemingly absurd statement about Itachi being loyal to Konoha after all… or this was all one massive act designed to lull them all into a false sense of security. But to what end, it was increasingly hard to say._

"I take it that the Sandaime never said anything to you about _why_ your team was what it was, then?" _Mah, could the Uchiha read him like a book._

It was strange to feel so exposed; thanks to his own self-control and his mask, _he_ was usually the enigma. Well, as long as Itachi kept talking, he supposed he would too. Knowing the Uchiha, there had to be some greater purpose behind his behavior, some information for which he was probing, and he intended to find out _what_ _._ After all, the man had never exactly been one for small talk. "All teams have their reasons for being. Through their rivalry, Sasuke and Naruto bring out the best in one another, and Sakura-chan…" he smiled beneath his mask as the sweet vision of her smiling face drifted through his head. "She provides balance… and the glue…"

"Hn. Sakura cares deeply for the jinchuuriki and my brother, I take it."

Kakashi frowned at the continuation of that same, disinterested tone. As before, he realized that this was a part of the missing nin's act, but it was still getting to him despite his best efforts to clear his head. Uchiha Itachi might not be the devil that the majority of the village believed him to be, but he was certainly no saint. _Yes, t_ _he bastard had some nerve speaking so calmly about Sakura's love for Naruto and his brother after taking advantage…_

Seeking to cool the anger that seemed to bubble forth to the surface every time he thought about Sakura, Kakashi pivoted back to a rather glaring hole in his companion's plan. "You know, Uchiha-san, I understand that you may wish to keep your clan's bloodline limit out of Orochimaru's hands, but I don't believe you'll find Sasuke amenable to your assistance. He, ah… intends to _kill_ you, you know."

The Uchiha's dark eyes shone in the sunlight, his expression as steady as usual. For a moment, Kakashi wondered if his companion had misheard him. Then, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "Ah. I'm well aware. I _intend_ him to. A fitting end to a reunion a decade in the making, don't you agree?" His tone was steady as ever, yet there seemed to be a certain softness behind it. _Sadness? Regret? Resignation?_

Despite his best efforts not to react, Kakashi felt his eyes widen incredulously. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been _that_. Moreover, the reference set him spinning in a decidedly different direction, thrusting him a decade into the past. He'd been avoiding the subject of the days leading up to the Uchiha incident, but now, as dark eyes that he didn't dare to meet bore into him, it seemed unavoidable. "Itachi…" he felt a slight flush rise into his cheeks at the feeling of the Uchiha's name on his lips but charged on, "What really happened that night?"

* * *

The hair on the back of Itachi's neck prickled at the sound of his given name. While Kakashi's voice had warmed slightly through the course of their conversation, he'd retained a distinct level of detachment, the cautiousness making it clear to the Uchiha that he was being held at arm's length. At the mention of the massacre, however, there was a noticeable softening in his companion's affect. _It wasn't exactly a shock._ After all, Itachi's own mind was inevitably drifting back to the last time they'd spoken on such intimate terms...

 _Had it really been a decade? Hn, he could picture Kakashi's ratty old apartment like it was yesterday... the little sitting area; the faded grey couch on which he'd perched that night, clutching an untouched mug of green tea; and of course, the famous Copy Ninja himself._ _He'd listened silently, leaning against the door frame of his kitchen with his arms crossed, as Itachi revealed his clan's plot, his intent to commit murder, the desire for his former captain that he'd been suppressing for months, and, finally, desperately, his wish for one night to forget it all. Oh, how he remembered that moment. The mismatched eyes that had momentarily burned with a strange blend of sorrow at his tale and lust at his proposition. The wave of nerves that coursed through his own body as he'd waited, breath bated, for the man's response. And, then, after an eternity, the sting of rejection as Kakashi wordlessly turned him away, closing him out literally and figuratively as the heavy wooden door shut in his face..._

 _But that was the past, and he would do well to remember it._ Clearing his mind of the dangerous haze of emotions threatening to disrupt his composure, Itachi closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, savoring the feeling of the cool air filling his lungs. Sakura's treatment session had yielded impressive results; he could breathe more freely than he had in months. Slowly exhaling, he returned his attention to the man seated before him. "I will tell you… but then _you'll_ need to satisfy my curiosity surrounding your behavior that night. Do we have an agreement?"

Itachi counted the seconds as the silence stretched, Kakashi's eyes fixated, as they'd been all along, on his necklace. Then, with intention, he raised his masked chin slightly, and dusky grey and crimson eyes met his own in a bold expression of faith. "Understood."

The Uchiha nodded once and wet his lips, preparing himself to launch into the too-familiar narrative. He'd presented a slightly sanitized version to Sakura out of a combination of concern for her own mental state and his brother, but, with Kakashi, there would be no secrets. "Hatake, how well do you remember what I told you then?"

"Too well."

"Hn. Then you remember the rationale I presented at the time; that I'd discovered my father's plot against Konoha and had a responsibility to address it."

"Hai." The expression on the visible portion of his face was shrewd, his attention laser focused. "There was more to it though, neh?"

"Ah. I did not _lie_ , but I admittedly withheld much of the truth. The decision was not my own. I acted at the order of the High Council… of Danzo and his allies. Alongside Shisui, I'd been working for the Council for well over a year before, feeding them information about the Uchiha elders' activities in the hope of a peaceful deescalation. That night, however, I was given an ultimatum. Exterminate the rest of my clan in exchange for Sasuke's life or watch Danzo's organization take my place with the promise that there would be no survivors. My own life was meaningless… but _Sasuke_ , well, I'm sure you remember my fondness for brother?"

Kakashi nodded once, steely gaze locked on his face. The man's control remained admirable, yet Itachi could sense the anger roiling beneath his mask. "Forced into a corner, I consented, beseeching the Council to spare Sasuke in exchange for my cooperation, aware that even my sacrifice might not be enough to guarantee his security in the face of Danzo's ruthlessness. Sarutobi… took pity on me. Outnumbered and outvoted, he swore to protect Sasuke with his own life, to keep him safe when I could not. And with that, I had my assignment… and I turned to _you_."

"I see. The night of the massacre, then… did you act alone? I know your skill, but the destruction of hundreds of Sharingan wielders, including men as talented as your father…?"

Itachi eyed the Copy Ninja carefully. He wasn't surprised that Kakashi had thought his supposedly single-handed "achievement" unlikely - in truth, it was a surprise that more people _hadn't_ \- but he found himself hesitating. _How much did he intend to reveal?_ His collaborator was supposed to be long dead, after all, and he himself remained skeptical about the truth of Tobi's identity, even after encountering his Sharingan firsthand. On the other hand, once he was dead, _someone_ in Konoha needed to know his suspicions, and Kakashi, his brother's sensei, was as good a choice as any. For, regardless of _who_ he really was, as one of only a handful of remaining Sharingan wielders, Itachi had no doubt that the masked man of the Akatsuki would be after Sasuke. He had a trick or two up his own sleeve and trusted that the boy had grown far stronger under Orochimaru, yet Madara - if Tobi truly _was_ Madara - was a force to be reckoned with, and there was only so much he'd be able to do to aid Sasuke from beyond the grave. "There was another - an _ally_ of Danzo's - the Akatsuki member known as Tobi. He introduced himself to me that night as Uchiha _Madara_."

Kakashi's eyebrows darted up to his hairline, and Itachi nodded in acknowledgment of his incredulity. "I have been unable to verify Tobi's true identity myself, but I do know that the man wields a Sharingan as fine as any I've encountered. To my mind, his claim seems… feasible."

* * *

Logically, the story that Uchiha Itachi had just recounted was too remarkable to even begin to believe, and capping it off with the legendary Uchiha Madara was positively absurd. But long gone were Kakashi's days of snap judgments and quick assumptions. The level of detail, the raw emotionality of the usually stoic man before him, the awareness that the Uchiha had never been a liar, the alignment with all he'd previously known, with all he'd later learned regarding Danzo and his disciples, with all he suspected… it was too perfect a fit _not_ to be true. "And now… you intend to sacrifice yourself, once again, for your brother."

"Ah. I intend to confront Orochimaru first. The Snake may like to think himself eternal, but that is pure foolishness. Try as he may to stake a claim on Sasuke's birthright, my brother is no puppet, and he is no match for the Sharingan." Dark eyes hardened, the overt anger a testament to the man's love for his _otouto_. "Once Orochimaru is dead, I will finally face Sasuke... and grant him the revenge he seeks."

Kakashi frowned. "And afterwards… how can you be so certain that Sasuke will return to Konoha?"

"As you yourself recounted, there are certain bonds tying Sasuke to this village. My brother is a stranger to me in many ways, but, I understand certain qualities of his heart. No matter how far he runs, no matter how hard he fights it, he will never be able to break his ties to his loved ones." He smiled, and Kakashi suppressed a shiver of appreciation at the softness in his jet-black eyes. Then, the emotion fading away as quickly as it had emerged, Itachi continued onward, voice falling back into the cadence of a tactician. "More practically, you'll be there. Or, rather, you and your team will be. I'd tasked a contact of mine with alerting Tsunade of my whereabouts in the days leading up to the confrontation. Of course, now that you and I have an _understanding_ , we can work more directly. But, Hatake, one last point. In order for this mission to succeed, Sasuke can _never_ know the truth. I trust you realize why."

The Copy Ninja nodded. "You're to be the scapegoat for the village's sins… the target against which Sasuke can vent the full scope of his ire." The answer was obvious, but the magnitude of the Uchiha's sacrifice was something else entirely. "You know, Itachi... I can't say I agree with all of your methods, but you may very well be the finest shinobi I've ever had the pleasure of knowing." _Although he was still a bit of a bastard,_ he mused, a certain pink-haired kunoichi popping back into his mind.

"Ah. You flatter me, Kakashi-san _._ Although... the last time we spoke so intimately, I seem to remember somewhat different feelings on your part."

Dark eyes flashed with either irritation or amusement - _mah, was the Uchiha a pain to read_ \- and Kakashi shifted uncomfortably on his too-small chair, aware of where their conversation was headed and not liking it one bit. _Well, Itachi_ had _told him everything he'd wanted to know and more._ He scratched the back of his head nervously, even more aware of Itachi's penetrating gaze than usual. _Quit stalling and get on with it._ "That night…. I'm certainly not proud of everything I did. But you were _a child_ , Itachi. What you offered me, tempted as I was, it was… _wildly inappropriate._ You must see that now."

"I was _never_ a child. I don't suppose you've forgotten our mission to the Land of Earth?" His tone was surprisingly short and angry, and Kakashi was forcefully reminded of the man's scowl-prone _otouto_. It appeared that their history had struck a nerve.

"How could I forget?" Kakashi frowned in pain at the memory of Itachi's impromptu seduction mission at the far too tender age of twelve. "It's haunted me for more than a decade. You _know_ I did everything in my power to prevent it. Had I known the depths of Muroto Ryuu's perversions heading in, I would have never allowed your inclusion in the first place -"

"Tch. You misunderstand me. I made my peace with what happened long ago, Hatake. As for our conversation that night… your rejection of my body was only a temporary affront to my ego. Turning me away completely after I'd told you my burden, however…"

Kakashi's pulse quickened as the Uchiha's eyes suddenly activated, the blazing redness tearing into him from across the room. _It appeared that Sakura had been mistaken about his ability to activate his Sharingan, after all._ "I'd realized long before that night that you weren't one for emotional attachments, but, I'd thought you a better teammate than _that_ , _Taichou_."


	19. The Toad Sannin's Spy

_[AN: And... back with another chapter! Again, sorry for the slightly longer than usual gap between chapters; unfortunately, some serious adulting delayed my posting (non)-schedule. On the positive side of things, while getting around to posting has been a challenge, I've been writing a fair bit, both this and a rather smutty, seriously fluffy Sasuke-Sakura one-shot to give me a mental break from the angst._ _Any interest? As always, thanks so much for the follows, likes, and feedback (particularly loveitasakuxx, JarJarBinky, Uchiha Misaki, TheBloodyLoveOfSakuraHaruno, and TipsyRaconteur for the thoughts on the last chapter)! I was admittedly quite wary about the Itachi-Kakashi dynamic given the age gap/how young Itachi was when he committed the massacre (the emotional side to their interactions wasn't actually in my original outline), so I really appreciate the feedback on the reveal and resolution._ _I'm not one for spoilers, but I do want to state that what was referenced in the last chapter is as close as I'll be coming to depicting underage relationships. I enjoy smut between consenting adults as much as the next M fan fiction writer, but I have less than no interest in ever opening that can of worms. As usual, the story is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 19: The Toad Sannin's Spy**

Sakura dashed through the sleepy streets of Konoha, Pakkun close at her heels. Her studio was centrally located, and it remained early enough in the day that the chance of running into any friends or acquaintances was slimmer than usual. Nevertheless, she picked her route thoughtfully, avoiding the central market, any of the roads near Naruto's apartment (not like he'd _ever_ willingly be up before nine), and, most dangerously, the wide windows of the Yamanaka flower shop.

As they tore into the courtyard of the Hokage's residence, Sakura received some decidedly funny looks from the shinobi standing guard. Indeed, for a moment, she feared that someone would deem their behavior suspicious enough for questioning. After all, it was awfully early in the day, and she wasn't usually the type to rush headlong through the village (that was really Naruto's speed). It appeared that she had nothing to worry about, however. Likely thanks to her status as Tsunade's apprentice and Pakkun's well-known connection to the famous Copy Ninja, they were allowed to pass with little more than a few eyebrow raises and a cheery wave from Hiro, a halfway handsome chunin in his early twenties with whom she was casually acquainted.

"It seems you've had an interesting start to your morning, Sakura-chan," the pug commented as they darted through the front door and began their climb up the dimly lit flight of stairs that led to Tsunade's office. Sakura nodded in response. She could tell that Pakkun was almost drooling with curiosity about the scene into which he'd been summoned - and she had some rather meaty questions for him about his master's relationship with Itachi, as well - but she didn't dare say anything more of the situation until they were safely embedded in her _shishou's_ office. Given what Itachi had told her of the High Council, not even the halls of the Hokage's towers were safe for such talk.

They rounded the final bend, and Sakura eyed the pair of ANBU guardsmen standing by the door to the office with a touch of trepidation. _Well, Tsunade had to be inside then… funny that Shizune was nowhere to be seen_. Whether this was a blessing or a curse, she was about to find out. Sakura loved the dark-haired woman dearly, but there was no denying that Shizune ran a rather tight ship when it came to managing Tsunade's schedule, and Sakura wouldn't put it past her to turn even her away given her lack of an appointment. Squaring her shoulders, she approached the panther-masked guard on the left side of the door with what she hoped was an expression of firm resolve. "I need to speak with Tsunade-shishou. Immediately."

"Hokage-sama is indisposed," the man replied evenly, and Sakura frowned, willing herself to keep her cool. As a small child, the anonymity of the men and women of ANBU had rather unnerved her. After learning more about what their forces did for the village, becoming personally acquainted with members such as Kakashi and Itachi, and spending what had to have been hundreds of hours around the operatives in her capacity as the Hokage's apprentice, most of the intimidation had faded. But at moments like this, the coldness of those porcelain-white masks still made an impression.

A rough voice cut in from below. "Pinky means business, boys." Pakkun had evidently sensed her unease and decided to throw his eighteen pounds of canine influence around. _Well, he'd never exactly been a wallflower._

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, standing strong under the hidden gazes of the figures before her as she gave herself a familiar little pep talk. _You're the Hokage's apprentice, a high-level chunin, and one of the best medics in the village. You_ deserve _their respect._ "Please. This is a matter of village security. It can't wait."

The deer-masked ANBU on the right shifted his stance slightly. "Hokage-sama had informed us that she was not to be disturbed," came the too-smooth voice, the tone reminding her rather forcefully of Itachi. Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but the shinobi cut her off. "However, given your position as her apprentice and your _insistence_ , I will inform her of your presence."

With a slight nod to his partner, the ANBU darted through the door, leaving it cracked, and Sakura waited nervously, ears straining to catch the murmured conversation inside the office. _It was awfully early for her Shishou to be having such a high-level meeting; she_ never _met with anyone before ten if she could help it. Which meant that whoever was in there had to be pretty damn important. Oh gods… what if it were someone from the High Council?_

Tsunade's familiar voice dragged her back to her reality. " _Sakura!_ Get in here. This had _better_ be important."

* * *

The Godaime tapped her fingers on the desk impatiently as Higa Ebisu bowed and made a hasty retreat. She was running on five hours of sleep and could have really used some liquid fortification "to wake herself up a bit." Her head hurt, her back ached, and it was too damn early. But, of course, Shizune had located and confiscated her most recent sake stash just last week. Instead, Tsunade contented herself with massaging her temples, trying to ignore Jiraiya's chuckle of amusement as her fingertips glowed green with healing energy. _Damn him… damn her… damn them all. She was in_ no _mood for nonsense._

The woman looked up as her young protege entered the office, accompanied by a surly-looking Pakkun. Usually, Sakura's presence served as a welcome pick-me-up, but this morning it ushered in the opposite effect. For the girl looked decidedly rattled: short pink hair unbrushed, tired circles underneath vivid green eyes, and disturbed chakra network suggesting that something serious was eating at her. Shutting the door and moving to the center of the circular room, the kunoichi nodded in acknowledgment and then shifted her attention immediately to Jiraiya, eyes growing wide.

"All right, Sakura. Let's hear about this important state secret."

"Ah, Tsunade, is that my cue...?" Jiraiya began to back his way over to the window in a stunningly obvious effort to escape.

 _Lazy, good for nothing. Given that he was the whole reason she was up before nine, he was sure as hell going to stick around for whatever Sakura had to say._ And, of course, if it turned out to be important, she _did_ trust her old teammate absolutely. "No, why don't you stay. Unless you object, Sakura?"

Honey eyes scanned the kunoichi's face carefully, taking note of the lips trembling nervously and the clenched fists. It took her a good minute or two to respond, but eventually Sakura nodded, managing to eke out a weak little "Hai, Tsunade-shishou."

"Well, then. Out with it, girl. We're not going to bite your head off." _Not literally, at least. That was really their third teammate's style, after all._ Sakura blanched, and Tsunade felt her eyes roll despite her best efforts to suppress her irritation. _Gods, why was it so hard to be patient? Sarutobi had always made it look_ so _damn easy..._

Likely sensing her displeasure, Jiraiya swept in, giving the terrified kunoichi a kindly smile. "Now, Sakura-chan, let's hear what you have to say before Tsunade takes out her frustration on the furniture again, hm? I think Shizune-san would really appreciate it."

Sakura licked her lips, blinked once, and steadied her shoulders in a series of actions that Tsunade recognized from their years of training as the pink-haired girl steeling herself. "It's about Uchiha Itachi. I, uh, have him staying in my apartment, you see - Kaka-sensei is watching him - and he's in critical condition. You need to come with me now, _shishou_. Please. We can't let him _die_..."

"WHAT?"

* * *

Tsunade pounded her fists onto the desk, which responded with a rather unsettling creak as a crack appeared down the center. Honey eyes sparkled dangerously as she gazed across the mutilated tabletop in shock and rage. Well accustomed to her _Shishou's_ moods, Sakura managed to suppress the yelp of surprise that had risen up into her throat. Instead, she chewed her lower lip nervously, hands clasping together nervously before her. " _Please,_ _Shishou_. I can explain everything later, but right now, I _really_ need you to come with me. Itachi-san is in a medical coma. He's not waking up, and I've tried everything I can think of."

To her great dismay, Tsunade remained firmly seated, crossing her arms over her ample chest and glaring in that way that told her she was in a great deal of trouble. _Oh dear. She wasn't taking this nearly as well as expected._ "Sakura, this is an extremely _serious_ matter. I realize that you're my apprentice, but harboring a known member of the Akatsuki isn't something that is just going to be overlooked, you know. As for _me_ going to treat the Uchiha… you know that that's _completely_ out of the question."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but Tsunade cut her off with a wave of her formidable hand. "There's no point arguing. I'll send an ANBU squad to take him off of Hatake's hands and see if we can get him admitted to the hospital prison ward. In order to achieve _that,_ the Elders will need to be notified, of course." She sighed heavily, running her hands over her face. " _Damn it all_ , Danzo is going to have a field day with this one. The bastard has been trying to get dirt on someone in my inner circle for years. I'll do my best to keep the damage _to you_ minimal, but I'm afraid you're going to be subject to a full investigation -"

"Tsunade, if I may," Jiraiya's voice cut in from over her shoulder, soft and steady.

"What now, Jiraiya? If this is some sort of clever comment, can't it wait -"

"I think we should hear out Sakura-chan before rushing to any _sudden_ conclusions."

Sakura's brow furrowed, and her eyes shot to the Toad Sannin's face. She knew that Jiraiya was an exceedingly powerful shinobi - he was her mistress's teammate and had taught Naruto his _Rasengan_ , after all - but he usually kept pretty much to himself when it came to Konoha politics. And, as far as she knew, he'd never expressed any sort of interest in her well-being before.

Tsunade seemed to be on the same page. To Sakura's great relief - she'd been growing distinctly uncomfortable under her deadly gaze - the woman's eyes drifted to her left. She seemed to be surprised by what she saw there, for the tone of her next response had lost most of its bite. "You realize that this is _Uchiha Itachi_ we're talking about, right, Jiraiya?"

"All the more reason to hear what Sakura has to say for herself."

Silence fell over the office. Jiraiya stood solemnly, dark eyes sparkling as he stared down his teammate, who returned his gaze pensively, nibbling on her red-lacquered thumbnail. Sakura shifted her weight from foot to foot as she stood in the center of the room, an uncomfortable observer of the nonverbal conversation being carried out before her. Not for the first time, she found herself wondering about the nature of her mistress's relationship with the Toad Sannin. Then, someone cleared their throat, and Sakura jumped, startled by the interruption. _That's right, Pakkun. In her nervousness, she'd completely forgotten about the pug._ "Forgive the intrusion, Hokage-sama, Jiraiya-sama. Should we get this show on the road? Pinky?"

* * *

Tsunade turned her attention back to Sakura, her eyes softer than they'd been before. Jiraiya's interjection had been startling - it wasn't like him to interfere with matters under her jurisdiction - but had done much to quench her anger. "Fine. Go ahead, then, Sakura. Tell me _why_ I should care so much about the fate of Uchiha Itachi."

As Sakura launched into her tale, Tsunade willed herself to remain silent, resisting the urge to cut the girl off. It admittedly _wasn't_ easy. After all, she already knew more of this story that her apprentice had anticipated. Sarutobi Hiruzen had long ago told her and Jiraiya that the Uchiha massacre had been a counteraction taken by the High Council against a planned coup. As his former students and two of the three legendary Sannin, they'd been privy to a great deal of otherwise classified information about activities in Konoha during his Hokage-ship (and sworn to absolute secrecy, of course). Based on Sarutobi's account, she'd assumed that the Uchiha's defection and later alignment with the Akatsuki were somewhat understandable, yet nevertheless unforgivable, signs of his bitterness at being mobilized by Konoha as a weapon against his clan. If _all_ of what her apprentice was saying was true; however, it would change _everything_. _All this business of secretly detesting the Akatsuki, of working for Konoha all along, of intending to face Orochimaru, of sacrificing himself for his brat of a younger brother... it was utter nonsense, wasn't it? Other than Sakura's words - and the girl was a heavily biased source given her relationship with both brothers - where was the proof?_

"... So, you understand now, _shishou_ , why it's imperative that you come see him. There's so much riding on his life -"

"And you care deeply for him," Tsunade murmured, the knowledge of her apprentice's mistaken affections for the Uchiha weighing heavily on her mind. The Godaime herself was no stranger to heartbreak, of course, but Sakura's experiences with Sasuke, first, and now Itachi were exceedingly painful to witness. _Damn the Uchiha. The girl didn't deserve any of this._ Straightening in her chair, she cleared her throat. What she had to do wasn't going to be pleasant, but it had to happen, for Sakura's sake. "Uchiha Itachi is an impressive shinobi, Sakura, and an undeniably attractive man. He is also highly intelligent, _ruthless,_ and accustomed to obtaining his goals through whatever means necessary. If he wanted something from you…." She paused, weighing her words carefully. "I don't doubt that he would lie, manipulate, and seduce - mind, body, and heart, if he needed to - to get it. It's a pretty story, Sakura, and it would be truly remarkable _if it were true_ , but without proof -"

"I may be able to help there." Jiraiya had been standing quietly by the window, taking in Sakura's tale, but now, to Tsunade's utter amazement, he cut in once again, voice a slow, steady rumble. Turning her attention away from the flushed face of her apprentice, the Godaime took in her teammate's uncharacteristically serious expression, his visage opaque even to her decades-trained eye. "Tsunade, I assume you remember the days following the Uchiha incident; when Sarutobi-sama took us into confidence?"

"Of course. I just don't see how that -"

Jiraiya held up his hands, wordlessly urging her to listen, and she fell silent, curiosity getting the better of her. "Weeks later, the Sandaime called me back in for a private audience. At that time, I'd already been trailing the Akatsuki for several years. My interest had started with Orochimaru." Tsunade grimaced at the mention of their one-time friend and teammate, and Jiraiya's eyes flashed darkly, echoing her pain. "Knowing how desperately I'd hoped to bring him back to Konoha and hearing of his alliance with their organization, Hiruzen had assigned me the task of keeping tabs on the group's activities. My progress had been slow, the dead ends numerous, and the intelligence lacking. Indeed, I'd been growing discouraged and was even considering giving up the mission altogether. That night, however, Sarutobi-sama had a proposition for me in the form of an informant. Forced by the circumstances of his clan to flee Konoha less than two months before, this man was the Akatsuki's newest recruit. Yet, he remained loyal to the Sandaime and had offered up his services to the cause of the village. And so, he became _my_ double agent in a relationship that has proved exceedingly fruitful for over a decade now. This man's name... is _Uchiha Itachi._ "

A little gasp came from the middle of the room, but Tsunade ignored it, attention locked on her teammate as her full lips turned downward. _Jiraiya had always had quite the flair for the dramatic, and her apprentice was quite the good little audience, but she wasn't about to let his yarn-spinning distract_ her _._ "And why wasn't _I_ made aware of this relationship?"

"Ah, yes, I thought you might not like that aspect of the arrangement. As always, the Sandaime had his rationale. Following Minato's unexpected death, Hiruzen intended you to eventually inherit the mantle of Hokage. While he told you much in order to prepare you for this role, there were certain matters that he felt were better off in my admittedly less-capable hands. In the case of the Uchiha, he was concerned by the threat of Danzo and the High Council. While Uchiha-san is admirably discreet, no man is infallible, and Sarutobi-sama feared that involving his handpicked successor in dealings with a missing nin could irreparably damage your bid if the relationship was ever discovered. Far better to risk me, a pornographic novel-obsessed fool with no patience for Konoha politics, that the Slug Princess."

 _Old Man Sarutobi certainly had a point there._ Tsunade felt some of the anger that had been building ease away, despite the use of her rather unfortunate moniker. _There was no way that Jiraiya would_ ever _dare to lie to her about something like this. Somehow, most remarkably, it seemed they'd been wrong about the Uchiha, after all. Yet…_ "But Uchiha Itachi has killed on behalf of the Akatsuki. Repeatedly. You yourself have provided that intelligence, Jiraiya. And we can't just discount his other crimes, can we? The jinchuuriki he's assisted in exterminating, the men he's tortured through _Tsukuyomi_ , the people he's kidnapped..."

Jiraiya nodded, mouth set in a straight line. "Itachi-san has played his role for a decade, Tsunade, and his position has often required him to commit violence. I suspect that many top operatives in Konoha would say the same of their own careers if you asked them; I know _I_ would. Believe me when I say that he's done all he can to minimize the suffering he's inflicted. Take, Naruto, for instance. I don't suppose it's ever occurred to you how fortunate he's been? That time at the inn, back when he was still a genin, Itachi could have _easily_ seized the boy before I had a chance to step in."

 _Hm. Yes, that had admittedly occurred to her before._ "Well, how about when he used _Tsukuyomi_ on Kakashi, then? Surely, taking such action against one's former _T_ _aichou_ is an unforgivable offense?"

"He couldn't exactly let his mask down in front of several Konoha jonin _and_ his Akatsuki teammate, could he now? I imagine that Hatake himself would tell you it was a miracle he survived the experience."

 _Fair point._ "Well then, his enmity towards his _own brother_? He's turned the Mangekyo on the brat _twice_ , you know."

"I'm aware. It's not like he can tell Sasuke the truth about what happened, Tsunade; it would destroy the boy even more than the lie he's been fed. Moreover, I shouldn't have to remind you that the Uchiha tend to go to extremes when it comes to encouraging the development of their loved ones' _Kekkei Genkai_."

" _Fine_. Sakura's kidnapping."

"Ah yes, Sakura-chan." He gave the pink-haired girl a somewhat apologetic smile, and Tsunade's eyes flitted back to her apprentice, the look of shock on her pale, open-mouthed face echoing her own emotions. "You're _really_ not going to like this, Tsunade, but the kidnapping was _intentional_. Several months ago, Itachi approached me about recovering Sasuke from Orochimaru, and I, uh, agreed to assist him. At the time, I'd assumed that Pein was catching on to his covert activities and that he'd wanted to go out with a bang. Given Sakura-chan's report of his current illness, perhaps there was a different spur driving him. Regardless of his rationale, it soon became clear that we needed another, someone well-entrenched in Konoha, who cared for his brother as much as he did and would be able to stand by Sasuke as he transitioned back to life within the Leaf. Naruto was, of course, out of the question given his status as a jinchuuriki, but Sakura, well…"

Jiraiya paused, shifting his shoulders in a manner belying his discomfort. "It may be the shinobi way, but I don't like to treat people like pawns, Sakura. In this situation, I'm afraid we had no other options. You may very well resent me now - I realize that this probably seems like an utter and complete violation of your trust - but my hope is that, one day, you'll agree that the ends justified the means." With that, his dark eyes returned to meet the Hokage's and his tone fell back into its steady cadence. "The Uchiha's arrest was a ruse, an excuse to get him into the village and close to the girl's apartment, and _I_ was the one who assisted him in his unlikely escape from the depths of T&I. I assume you realized following his flight that the man had to have had some help from within, prodigy or not?"

Tsunade nodded blankly. She's eventually come to that conclusion, but it wouldn't have occurred to her if she lived to be one thousand that _Jiraiya_ was the accomplice. _Gods, had he played her._

"Our mission accomplished, Itachi fled. He lay low for a couple of weeks, keeping Sakura sequestered from the rest of the Akatsuki as we'd agreed. You see, I might be a bit reckless, but I'm not completely _negligent_ , Tsunade. Once he'd gained enough of her trust to reveal his true intent, he briefed her, we met up, and I received the go ahead to tip you off as to her location."

 _Hmph. Well, she was convinced. And royally pissed._ No matter how desperate the situation, using Sakura like he had was an exceedingly low blow, particularly given the Uchiha's surprising inability to keep his hands to himself. _What had they been thinking?_

* * *

 _Itachi's Konoha contact. It was Jiraiya._ Sakura's head was spinning, her current circumstances forgotten in the face of the Sannin's narrative. With every piece of information that she learned, she felt her spirits sinking. Jiraiya's admission wasn't nearly as upsetting to her as he seemed to think it would be. No, it was Itachi's role that had her so worked up. _From Itachi's perspective, was that really all that there was to their relationship? A means of assuring her participation in the plot to rescue his brother?_ After getting to know him and learning of his intent to save Sasuke, she'd shunted aside the possibility that the man could possibly be using her - if anything _she'd_ been the one to engage him - but hearing the Toad Sannin speak of her involvement in such mercenary, cut-and-dry terms was… _troubling. Kami, how could she have been so naive!_

 _But there wasn't time for this. At least not now._ " _Shishou…_ " she murmured, her voice weak from disuse as she turned her attention back to her mentor, "Please…"

The blonde sat silently behind her desk, eyes still locked on her fellow Sannin, full lips lightly parted, mentally a thousand miles away. "Tsunade…" Jiraiya's deep, soft voice appeared to break the spell. With a start, the Hokage blinked several times in quick succession and then shifted her gaze back to Sakura. Before, her honey eyes had held shock, anger, and frustration, but _now_... well, Tsunade had never exactly been the maternal type, but there was a certain softness in her gaze that reminded the kunoichi of her mother. Her expression was gentle, thoughtful, almost… _pitying?_

She stood, her eyes flashing with resolve. "All right, Sakura. But you understand that this must be done in absolute secrecy, hm? If Danzo finds out..." She grimaced, the expression communicating everything that needed to be said, and Sakura felt a shiver of something suspiciously like hatred course through her body. _If only there was some way to take down that rat… but no, he was the High Council's most powerful member. They'd never rule against him._

Sakura nodded in acknowledgment of her mistress's request and made her way to the door, Pakkun close at her heels. "I'll be a few minutes, Sakura," her _shishou_ commented, an unfamiliar sadness behind her usually firm voice. "Jiraiya is heading out on a mission, and we have a couple of points to discuss, first."

* * *

Despite his shinobi instincts screaming otherwise, Kakashi found himself unable to look away from the Uchiha's blazing Sharingan. The raw magnetism of his gaze was astounding, and, what was more, he knew with every fiber in his being that the man had every _right_ to be angry. While he'd forever stand by his decision to reject Itachi's physical offer, he'd been nothing but a coward for turning him away completely that night, even though there was frightfully little he could have done to alter the man's course. So afraid of his own feelings, of the dangerous temptation of the teenager's willing body, of losing someone else dear to him, he'd panicked and turned to that same detestable method of action he'd long employed in the face of emotional attachments: blocking out the world.

But there was no time now for further discussion, excuses, or an apology. For better or for worse, it appeared that their interlude was about to be interrupted. Pakkun was back and, with him, a familiar presence - _and the alluring scent of honeysuckle_ \- coming down the hall. Wrenching his gaze away from his companion's, Kakashi turned his attention to the door just as the knob turned, intensely aware that his heightened pulse, sweaty forehead, and blush creeping over the upper edge of his mask (not to mention the Uchiha's activated eyes and menacing aura) wouldn't be missed by the medic nin's razor-sharp eyes.

Kakashi watched the kunoichi carefully as she entered the room, sparing Pakkun the briefest of nods to indicate that he was dismissed. _He'd have the pug fill him in on the details of what had transpired in Tsunade's office later. Right now, he was far more interested in observing the exact nature of the relationship between his two former teammates firsthand._

Upon shutting the door, Sakura's eyes immediately jumped to her bed, jaw dropping at the discovery that the man occupying it was upright and somehow capable of sustaining his Sharingan. " _Itachi-san?_ You're awake," she murmured, her expression all at once worried, tentative, and strangely gentle. Yes, Kakashi had seen that look and heard that tone from her before, but not in years. Not since… _Sasuke_. _Well, that confirmed it. She loved him. Somehow, his sweet, kind-hearted, fiercely loyal Sakura-chan had fallen for Uchiha Itachi._ And he could only watch helplessly, knowing full well that nothing more would, or could, ever come of it.

The Uchiha returned the kunoichi's rather heated gaze coolly, a small smirk of satisfaction playing across his lips. "Ah." " _Ah"? That was_ it _? Sakura was eyeing him like he was the most important thing in the world to her, and all he could do was "ah" and smirk?_ He _was certainly one to lecture about rejecting attachments..._

Kakashi felt a rather nasty, sinking feeling grow in the pit of his stomach as Sakura quietly pulled one of her kitchen chairs over to the bed, sparing him little more than a preoccupied half-smile. It was clear that her attention was wholly consumed by the Uchiha, and he didn't like it one bit, even if the man was ill. As she seated herself next to him and placed her hands over his chest in order to presumably run some additional scans, he watched beadily, increasingly feeling an outsider in the face of the scene unfurling before him.

"Whatever were you and sensei up to, Itachi-san?" She asked her patient softly, the concern in her voice evident as the green glow of her healing chakra illuminated her tired face. "It's extremely dangerous to activate your Sharingan when your body is so weak, you know." _Mah, if it were him or Naruto on the receiving end of this treatment, she'd be hollering about risky jutsus and disrespecting their limits by this point, if not threatening outright violence. It wasn't fair._ His more rational side told him that he sounded like a child, but he couldn't help it. Witnessing the two of them together, like this, immediately after being forced to cycle through a host of deeply uncomfortable memories he'd spent the better part of the past decade suppressing, was inspiring a whole host of emotions that he was in no way prepared to deal with. _Why, oh why, had he decided that_ this _would be a good morning to stick his nose in Sakura's business?_

"Tch. Nothing of importance. Just a minor discussion of ancient history," came the Uchiha's dismissive reply as his irises shifted from red to black. "My eyes are fine; they've been through far worse. I wasn't actually going to _use_ them." Despite the decidedly mixed emotions he held towards the man, Kakashi found himself exceedingly grateful for Itachi's quick pivot. After all, the last thing he needed now - _or ever, for that matter_ \- was a heart-to-heart with Itachi _and_ Sakura. Resigning himself to his situation and eager for something, _anything_ to take his mind off of the murmured conversation across the room and all that had unfolded over the past couple of hours, Kakashi picked up his book from the table, opening it to a random page and resolutely holding it before his nose. _Gods, where was Tsunade when he needed her?_

* * *

Tsunade rapped firmly on her apprentice's door, casually scanning the hall for observers. She seemed to be alone, which was a relief. While she'd visited Sakura a few times previously, she wasn't exactly a frequent caller, and her position as Godaime tended to attract a certain amount of interest anytime she left her tower. Today, she'd shunshinned most of the way, just to be safe, but ROOT could be subtle. That being said, if she had received any unwelcome attention, between Kakashi and the Uchiha, she suspected that there were a literal ton of masking jutsus currently draped around Sakura's apartment. Danzo's operatives were a talented group, but she highly doubted that they could go toe-to-toe with the genjutsu of the legendary Copy Ninja and the Uchiha prodigy.

Sakura wordlessly ushered her into the studio, and Tsunade's eye took in the scene: the little kitchenette, the tidy desk, Kakashi camped out in an absurdly undersized chair at the kunoichi's kitchen table with a copy of _Icha Icha_ jammed fixedly in front of his masked face _(there was absolutely no way in hell that he was actually reading; she knew his tricks)_ , and Uchiha Itachi sitting up in the bed, back supported by a couple of pillows and clutching a mug of something steaming. "Well, this looks cozy," she commented once the door was firmly latched, a touch of snark creeping into her tone as her eyes lingered on the Uchiha, as if daring him to try something. He returned her gaze impassively, and she couldn't deny that those deep, dark eyes of his were rather captivating, even without his bloodline limit activated. _When it came to physical attractiveness, her apprentice certainly had good taste… a shame about the wooden personality and rap sheet._

"Hokage-sama." Itachi acknowledged her with a vague incline of his head. "I understand from Sakura-san that you've been briefed on my presence."

"Mm," Tsunade pursued her lips in dislike. _Sakura-san. Like he really expected her to believe that their relationship was strictly professional. Boy, was it tempting to give the Uchiha a good piece of her mind for daring to fuck with her apprentice. But no, she was a professional, and he a patient. Damn the Medic Code._ "All right, Uchiha, let's get on with it. I'm short on time and patience this morning. What exactly seems to be ailing you?"

The man shrugged, expression blank, and Tsunade found herself praying to Kami to keep her calm. "It's his lungs, Hokage-sama," Sakura answered for him, settling back into a chair she'd pulled next to the bed. "I'm not sure of the source, but it seems to have been afflicting him _for months_. You should see the scarring... I've never seen anything like it."

"Years, actually," the Uchiha murmured quietly, studiously avoiding the pink-haired kunoichi's worried eyes. "Its lethal. Not that it matters."

Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest, fixing the pale man with a formidable stare. "Be that as it may, given that I've dragged myself down here from my office, mind if I take a look?"

The man shut his eyes, leaning his head back against the cream-colored wall as he tilted his face up towards the ceiling. "Tch." _Ah would it be satisfying to send him flying head-first out of Sakura's window. It would be so easy…. But no. Aside from blowing all pretense of cover, the bastard would probably just land on his feet like some sort of overgrown cat..._

"Itachi…" Sakura's voice was soft and pleading, and Tsunade winced as the girl took his right hand in hers, noticing out of her periphery that Kakashi's shoulders had also tensed. It seemed that she was not alone in her concerns about the pain that the kunoichi's heart would all too soon be suffering.

Long, dark lashes sprung open at the kunoichi's touch, his eyes drifting first to Sakura and then back to Tsunade. "Fine. What difference does it make."

Rolling up the sleeves of her green robe, Tsunade settled herself in the chair her apprentice had vacated for a seat at the kitchen table with Kakashi. Hands hovering over the Uchiha's chest, she shut her eyes and turned her focus inward. She could understand immediately why Sakura had commented on the scar tissue; his lungs were _a mess_. Indeed, given the damage, it was surprising that he was still breathing. "Have you been taking anything for this?" She asked, eyes snapping open to meet the Uchiha's bored gaze.

"Ah. Pills."

 _GAH. The monosyllables. It was like pulling teeth._ "What kind? Do you have them with you?"

Itachi shrugged. "An Amegakure medic gave them to me some time ago. I used them up last night."

 _Kami, shinobi patients were the worst! What sort of idiot took pills from a random medic without finding out what they were? Then again, to be fair, it was likely that the Uchiha's options for medical care were few and far between._ "I see. Well, they don't seem to have _prevented_ any sort of damage. I assume they were intended to manage your symptoms?"

"Ah."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Tsunade turned her attention back to the man's lungs, her mind beginning to whirl with possible next steps. The diagnostic options were seemingly endless; comprehensive testing of everything from his blood chemistry to his forced vital capacity to his genetic background would likely be required, not to mention a full history of where he'd been traveling and when, just to make sure no environmental factors could be at work. _This was going to take_ days _, never mind the treatment process. What. A. Pain._ What's more, as much as she hated the idea of allowing her apprentice to remain anywhere near the Uchiha, it appeared that she had no other options. After all, it wasn't like she could call in sick for the next two weeks in favor of serving as the Uchiha's personal medic, and no one else could know, not even Shizune...

Tsunade launched into the first series of basic vitality tests herself, hoping to find something that would make their diagnostic course slightly more straightforward. Aside from his lungs, his chakra levels seemed meager for a shinobi of his stature, and she also noticed a great deal of build up around his eyes. "You're going blind, you know," she commented rather unfeelingly, slightly mystified by the discovery given his age but not letting it show. If it were any other patient, she would have put in a bit more effort to modulate her tone, but the Uchiha didn't seem to care about his body in the least. _Besides, how couldn't he have noticed?_

"It's a side effect of the Mangekyo Sharingan, _shishou_. Long-term use causes irreversible blindness," Sakura commented sadly from the kitchen table.

" _Oh?_ " _Now_ this _was interesting. Could the deterioration of the Uchiha's eyes somehow have to do with his lungs? Connecting ocular damage to the respiratory system was exceedingly far-fetched, but one never knew when it came to bloodline limits, and she knew laughably little about the Mangekyo Sharingan. Not for lack of trying._ While Tsunade had overlapped with Uchiha Shisui in Konoha for several years, she'd never had a chance to take a look at his eyes, despite her clinical curiosity. Per Fugaku, only Uchiha medics were permitted to treat fellow clan members except in the rarest of emergencies. Moreover, whatever literature existed about the Sharingan was Uchiha property and, as such, prohibited reading for anyone not given permission by the clan head himself. _Come to think of it, how_ had _her apprentice ever come to possess such privileged information?_ "How did you learn this, Sakura? I can't imagine that this bastard told you?"

"Actually, _shishou_ , Itachi-san provided me with a book about the Sharingan. It's right over -"

" _Sakura_ …" Itachi muttered warningly, turning his steady gaze on the kunoichi, and Tsunade almost fell out of her chair in shock. _Uchiha Itachi_ willingly _gave her apprentice an entire text about his family's precious_ Kekkei Genkai _. Whatever could he have been thinking? It appeared that the relationship between the pair was far more sophisticated that she had expected._


	20. The Snake Sannin's Apprentice

_[AN: Twenty chapters in, and it's finally time to check in with my original favorite! This admittedly gets a bit... dark. To cope, I (shameless plug) ended up taking a break halfway through to finish up a kind of silly little one shot (that might end up more than a one shot because I had so much fun with it). If_ _you enjoy smutty fluff with a small side of angst of the SasuSaku variety, might I humbly suggest "Good Vibrations"? Returning to this chapter... yes,_ _that's an original character you see. I'm trying to keep the OC thing to a minimum because they don't usually do much for me either, but I found a need to add one here... canon just wasn't doing it for me this time around. I'm hoping that it doesn't detract? Thank you as always for the favorites, follows, and feedback - I cannot lie; it's been kind of awesome having loyal readers! As usual, this content is rated M (violence, emotional angst, mature scenes), and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 20: The Snake Sannin's Apprentice**

For his eighteenth birthday, Uchiha Sasuke was gifted a kunoichi.

In truth, he hadn't been aware that it _was_ his birthday until Orochimaru met him that morning in the candlelit cavern where they'd be sparring with a rather ironic "many happy returns." It was then that Sasuke had known that he was in for some sort of unpleasant surprise, not that he'd ever let his concern show, of course. After almost five years in the Sannin's den, he was confident that he could survive just about anything that the man could throw at him. Moreover, he'd learned long ago that the _last_ thing to do when faced with one of Orochimaru's training "techniques" was to let him see him sweat. For no one enjoyed playing with his prey more than the Snake.

After a couple of hours of primarily taijutsu and katana sparring, the Snake Sannin signaled for him to put away his _chokuto_. Settling into his stone throne at one end of the room, Orochimaru's eyes rested fixedly on his protege, a thin smile playing across his pale lips. Sasuke returned his master's gaze coolly, observing his labored breathing, the beads of sweat on the man's forehead, the even paler than usual complexion, and the pain behind his smirk. Over the past few weeks, his condition had begun to decline despite Kabuto's steady supply of concoctions. The body he'd been occupying for almost five years had served him well, but it was growing clear that he would soon be ready to transition to a new host. Sasuke suppressed a shudder of revulsion at the thought. _Only a few more months before it was time to execute the next phase of his plan..._

As if on cue, the bespectacled medic entered the room, proffering the Sannin a silver chalice filled with a rather foul-smelling brew. "Our little Sasuke-kun has grown, has he not, Kabuto?" Orochimaru rasped, his eyes running rather heatedly over the Uchiha's body as he licked his lips with his too-long tongue. At that, Sasuke activated his eyes, the blazing red a thinly veiled warning. The man had never tried to pull anything of a sexual nature on _him_ , but he wouldn't put it past the fool to try. After all, he'd overheard what had happened to some of the Snake's less fortunate targets on more than one occasion.

Kabuto agreed with a nod of barely disguised dislike, not bothering to spare Sasuke even the barest of glances. In contrast to Orochimaru's enthusiasm, his interest had always been strictly clinical, serving as his medic and carrying out treatments designed to enhance his resistance to toxins, illness, temperature and the environs, and pain. For, while the Sharingan was a prize in itself, Orochimaru expected his future host's body to be in peak physical condition, never mind the discomfort it frequently took to achieve such perfection for the original denizen.

Taking a sip of his medicine, Orochimaru grimaced and wiped his lips with the back of his hand, gaze returning to the young man before him. "Kabuto has a little present for you, Sasuke-kun. To commemorate your _ascent into adulthood_."

 _Tch, did he look forward to annihilating this creature._ Ever since he'd arrived in the man's lair, Orochimaru had taken a perverse pleasure in playing these little games. Of course, Sasuke realized long ago that they were a form of training - baiting him to see if he could get a rise as a form of emotional hardening - and had developed an ironclad control of his affect as a result, just as the Snake had intended. While he currently raged inside at Orochimaru's tone, he kept his outward expression neutral, eyes flicking from his pleased face to Kabuto, whose fists were clenched in what appeared to be anger. _Hn, it seemed that the medic wasn't so enthusiastic about whatever was to come either._

Giving his master a single nod, the medic exited the room and returned moments later with… _a girl._

Not that he cared, but she was a pretty enough creature: long, slender legs; a lithe body with a rather nicely developed chest; a pale, heart-shaped face with delicately flushed cheeks; and shoulder-length, strawberry-blonde tresses. Upon entering the chamber, her seafoam eyes had flickered momentarily over his body, widening in a manner he vaguely remembered seeing on more than a few of the faces of his female classmates a lifetime ago in Konoha. Disgruntled by the unwelcome attention, he returned her gaze with one of vague displeasure, his already intense dislike shifting to outright hatred. _So, this was Orochimaru's newest weapon. Did he_ really _think that this wisp of a girl would somehow be the key to possessing his body? If so, the joke was on the Snake._ Thanks to his single-minded focus on Itachi, Sasuke had less than no interest or time for the fairer sex, and there was no way that _she_ was going to change that.

Orochimaru had evidently picked up on his coolness. Chuckling softly, he held out his hand to the girl standing beside him, and Sasuke was vaguely amused to see that she didn't take it. "This is Anzu, Sasuke-kun. Kabuto's been keeping her for several months now, but I think the time is ripe for you to have your own… _companion._ " _Well, that explained why the Sound medic was so put out by this development._ The Sannin paused in what Sasuke recognized as dramatic effect and then continued onward, eyes hardening slightly. "She'll be staying in your room from here on out, Sasuke-kun, and I expect you to treat her with _all the hospitality she deserves_ , hmm?"

"Is that all?" Sasuke made to turn away from his master, not wishing to prolong the conversation any further. One thing was immediately clear. She might be his new roommate, but there was no way in hell that this Anzu creature would _ever_ be joining him in his bed. _Particularly not if she'd been with Kabuto._ She could sleep on the floor for all he cared.

"Really, I expected you to be a bit more _enthusiastic_ , Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru commented, all pretense of pleasure gone now as his eyes narrowed to slits. "Kabuto has certainly enjoyed her company, and I'd hoped that the hair and eyes might remind you of… _happier times._ I realize that it isn't a perfect match, but pink isn't so easy to find, you know."

For a moment, a round face with luminous green eyes and a halo of rose-colored hair danced through his mind, but Sasuke suppressed the memory easily, walling it off along with the rest of his past that didn't involved his damned brother. After five years apart, it was rather pleasing how easily he could dismiss such troublesome thoughts of his onetime team. _Yes, there were certain advantages to undergoing Orochimaru's tortures, after all._

* * *

Despite his continued dislike for the kunoichi and all she represented, life with Anzu fell into something of a routine. To be honest, Sasuke pretty much ignored her. Or, at least, he did as much as she let him. She wasn't exactly bold in her approach, but it was clear that she found him attractive, and her steadfast interest was troubling. At the age of twelve, he'd been impervious to the charms of girls, with one not-so-insignificant, occasional exception, but, at eighteen, he found that he noticed… _more._

The first night, he'd returned to his room after an evening session of solo shuriken training to find the girl seated on his bed, clad in some sort of sheer, white nightgown that left exceedingly little to the imagination. As he'd entered, his mouth going vexingly dry, she'd looked up, eyeing him with soft doe eyes behind which a rather disturbing desire burned. "Get off my bed," he'd commanded shortly, diverting his eyes immediately from her slender figure and heading straight for the bathroom before his brain had the chance to process anything further. Yes, he was aware that he was being kind of rude and that none of this was _really_ the girl's fault, but he couldn't risk being anything but dismissive. He needed to stay absolutely focused on what was to come, and she could become a decidedly dangerous distraction if he gave her even a modicum of hope.

The girl had let out a rather sad sigh at his rapidly retreating figure, and he'd felt his ears warm in a vague embarrassment as he'd shut himself into the bathroom and stripped himself of his sweaty clothing. He was cold, but he wasn't heartless, and the kunoichi's overt display of emotion made him feel a touch guilty, despite all he told himself about staying detached. _Hn, perhaps this wasn't going to be so easy… Orochimaru appeared to have planned this episode far better he'd anticipated._

After his shower, Sasuke had returned to the bedroom, only to discover that Anzu had fallen asleep in the middle of his bed, slender arms loosely hugging his pillow. And so, accepting a temporary defeat and willing his eyes to ignore her not entirely unappealing curves, he'd gathered up a spare blanket and made a nest for himself on the floor, trying to take comfort in the thought that he'd soon be out from under the Snake's thumb and free to pursue his demon of an elder brother.

Their detente continued on in such a manner as the days turned to weeks and weeks to months, the kunoichi unrelenting in her admiring glances and largely silent softness and Sasuke steeling himself with every ounce of resolve that he could muster, lulling himself to sleep each night with the steady mantra that he couldn't allow himself to become distracted, that he would avenge his clan, that he _must_ kill his brother. It was with a hefty dose of relief that he was informed by Orochimaru several months into this new torture that he and Kabuto would be accompanying him on a trip to one of his lairs near the Village Hidden in Grass and that "Sasuke-kun's little toy," as Orochimaru had sickenly taken to calling Anzu, would be staying behind in Oto.

For the first few nights in the underground hideout, Sasuke relished the opportunity to sleep in his own room again, on a proper bed. As a boy, he'd hated the solitary life that Itachi had cursed him to live, but after a few months in Anzu's constant presence, he found himself embracing the silence and the freedom from temptation.

 _Yes, everything had been going so well_ … until his old Team 7 teammates, minus Kakashi, plus a dark-haired lookalike and a wood user, had seemingly fallen out of the sky and confronted him in a ludicrous attempt to convince him to return to Konoha. He'd done his best to harden his heart and stay detached from his emotions, but the run-in had been decidedly uncomfortable, likely for all parties involved ( _well, with the exception of Orochimaru, who relished any opportunity to expose him to a new stimulus that required conquering_ ) and had given him an ocean of items besides Itachi to think about.

His interaction with the Kyuubi, for instance, had been stunningly unexpected. Indeed, Sasuke wasn't entirely sure _how_ exactly it had come about. One moment, he'd been facing the _dobe_ for the first time in half a decade, vaguely aware that his former teammate was perilously close to losing control of himself once again. _Had he really learned_ nothing _of self-modulating in the intervening years? Tch, some shinobi he'd turned out to be._ The next, however, Sasuke's Sharingan had granted him entrance into Naruto's deepest consciousness, bringing him face to face with Kurama himself in a somewhat shocking confirmation of the blonde's power source. He had absolutely no idea who the Uchiha Madara that the fox had compared him to even was - his clan's history was one of the many points that Itachi had denied him of - but the mere fact that he'd confronted _and_ suppressed the Nine Tails was certainly _interesting_.

More troubling was the matter of Sakura. Under Orochimaru, one of the first skills that he'd mastered was the ability to suppress emotionally traumatic memories, a technique he'd used to great affect to banish all thoughts of Konoha and, foremost among them, his weakness for his pink-haired former teammate. For even more so than Naruto, Sakura represented a potential threat to his mission of vengeance. While he tried to deny it, the girl had inexplicably possessed a certain hold over him ever since their genin mission to the Land of Waves, and her emotional outpouring the night he'd fled Konoha had been far more damaging to his resolve that he suspected she would ever know. After knocking her unconscious, the temptation to stay or, even more catastrophically, take her with him, just as she'd requested, had been decidedly powerful. After five years without her, he'd thought that he was beyond all that, but now, with just a single, brief confrontation and a glimpse of those emerald eyes, he found himself desiring her in a way he'd never before wanted anyone. She'd seemed different, stronger, older - _well, it had been almost five years -_ and he'd wondered for the first time since his defection what exactly he'd left behind in Konoha...

* * *

Shortly after the Team 7 reunion, they returned to Oto… and to Anzu. It was three days later that he dreamed for the first time in half a decade.

While Sasuke hadn't experienced a dream in years, he was by no means a stranger to them. As a small boy, he'd had the silly sorts of dreams all young shinobi presumably experienced: distinguishing himself as a jonin and ANBU captain, saving Konoha at its hour of greatest need, becoming Hokage, earning the respect of his father and brother. Following Itachi's treachery, his sleeping mind had come to wander far darker terrain, a landscape of red and black dominated by a creeping sense of dread, the fallen figures of his clansmen and parents, and, most chillingly, the demonic eyes and callous words of his nii-san, the man he'd once idolized above all others. Over the course of those tortured years, he'd woken up alone and screaming more times than he cared to remember, and, as such, had heartily embraced Orochimaru's technique for clearing his mind, employing it each night without fail as he drifted off to sleep.

That night, however, everything he'd learned about turning off his thoughts and embracing the nothingness left behind was for naught. For he experienced a new sort of dream, in its own way as equally disturbing as his memories of _Tsukuyomi_.

 _He lay on his bed in that same dark, cavernous bedroom he'd occupied since his arrival in Oto, seemingly alone, a vague anticipation prickling up his spine. From his position on his back, he could see a slit of light at the base of the bathroom door and hear the water running, indicating that he wasn't alone, after all. Who could it be?_ _The shower stopped, and he heard the rustle of the curtain. It appeared he would find out soon enough._

 _He waited, breath bated, as the door slowly swung open, revealing pale, slender legs; a toned little body clad in a few strips of lacy red; and - his exhale caught in his throat - eyes of emerald green; full, soft lips; and unmistakable strands of pink hair. For the first time in five years,_ her _name rolled off of his tongue, all at once foreign and familiar, and she smiled softly in acknowledgment, irises sparkling in the dim candlelight. As she approached, he felt his eyes activate, locking on the delicate sway of her slender hips as they committed the motion to memory. Despite her childish infatuation, he'd always grudgingly thought her halfway cute, but now... she was positively beautiful..._

" _Sasuke-kun," she murmured, settling next to him on her side, and he suppressed a shudder of pleasure at the sound of her voice. As a boy, he'd detested the way she used to croon his name, adding on the precious suffix like he was some adorable pet, but that too had changed. What was once an annoyance had become reverent and womanly, thrilling him to his core. Overwhelmed by the manner in which her very presence flooded his sentences, he closed the gap between them, and their lips met, the kiss tantalizingly soft and sweet, her heated body brushing alluringly against his own in all the right places. The sensations, the closeness, the total and complete awareness of_ her _... he wanted, no, he_ needed, _more…_

A soft sigh startled him out of his slumber, dark lashes flitting open as his eyes shifted from ebony to crimson. While he was well aware that the vision had been just that, a dream, the desire it had awakened continued to course through his veins. His gaze flicked across the room to the source of the disturbance - _his bed_ \- settling heatedly on the sleeping girl within, the thin white sheet in which she was swaddled highlighting her ample curves. Ruby eyes roaming upwards, they locked on tangles of strawberry-blonde, the dim light seeping through the base of the door to the hall giving the tendrils a rosy hue. His rational side warned him that he'd be foolishly entangling himself, just as Orochimaru wished, if he did anything but roll over and attempt to fall back asleep. But the dream had woken some other craving within, a raw, hungry being, and he suddenly found… _that he no longer cared_.

Silently rising to his feet, he padded to the bed, the heat of his lust coiling through his body, setting his skin on fire. Heart pounding in his chest, he reached out his calloused left hand, allowing his fingers to trail along the delicate expanse of her collarbone. _Hn, she was so pale, so soft, so cool._ At his touch, the girl's lashes fluttered open, confused surprise illuminating her seafoam eyes. _Strawberry instead of rose, the ocean when he wished for emerald… she was a pale imitation of his true desire, yet, at that moment, irresistible._ Meeting his gaze, her expression shifted from sleepy uncertainty to understanding, and her too-full lips curved into an inviting smile, granting him the permission he craved.

With that, his lips were on hers, crushing their bodies together in a brazen demand. It was sloppy, it was ungraceful, it was a lewd mockery of his fantasy, if the truth be told, but it was _real_. And at that moment, in the fog of his lust, _that_ was what mattered. His hands ran along her body almost as if they belonged to someone else, and she writhed beneath him, soft moans spurring him onward as he unceremoniously rid her of her flimsy nightgown, fully exposing her body to his gaze. It wasn't _Sakura_ , but he couldn't deny that the view still pleased him… _well, certain parts of him_. He could feel the heat growing; he wanted to taste her, touch her, utterly consume her, to quench the flame that the girl of his dreams had lit in the only way he currently could.

 _And he would..._

 _And he did._

* * *

Sasuke awoke the next morning to a tangle of limbs and a vague regret gnawing at the pit of his stomach. As he lay on his back, naked and far too warm in Anzu's smothering embrace, memories of last night ran through his head, deepening his remorse for allowing himself to so fully lose control. Visions of the girl's pale body under his own, the sinful sensation of burying himself in her over and over, the searing satisfaction of his too-soon release… _gods, what had he done?_ _He'd entangled himself with this kunoichi, just as Orochimaru in all of his perversions had wished. It appeared that he'd royally fucked up this time._

The girl stirred slightly, tightening her grip on his chest, and he suppressed the temptation to push her off and disappear into the bathroom. After all, he _had_ helped himself to her body last night and knew enough to be aware that running off would be… _cruel_. Five years in Oto had set him on a slippery moral slope - Orochimaru's training demands and influence had led him to turn his back on many of the values he'd learned in Konoha - but he still held himself to certain expectations. He might be a bastard, a shitty teammate, and a defector, but he refused to completely lose sight of who he was, of his clan's legacy, of his own sense of right and wrong. And discarding this girl after last night belonged in the latter category.

But now was not the time for soul searching; there were more pressing needs at hand. It was time to think, and fast, because Anzu was waking up, and he needed a plan for how to deal with her going forward. He didn't know what Orochimaru's specific purpose in planting the kunoichi in his bedroom was with absolutely certainty, but given the fact that the Sannin's current host was slowly coming to the end of his cursed lifespan, he was fairly confident that she was meant as a distraction, something to keep him firmly in Oto and diverted from any sort of counter-objective against the Snake. It more or less made sense, and yet, he couldn't shake the suspicion that he was missing something. _Could_ she _know anything?_ The possibility was intriguing; after all, she'd been Kabuto's lover first - _a rather nauseous thought that he_ really _didn't want to dwell on after last night_ \- and the medic could have very easily let something slip.

The kunoichi blinked a few times and smiled warmly up at him, her strawberry-blonde hair mussed from their previous night's activities. "Good morning," she murmured, her voice husky and low as she stretched her body against his rather sensuously. He'd never been one for physical contact, but he couldn't deny that her touch was somewhat pleasing. _Tch, focus._

He nodded his head vaguely at her greeting, keeping his expression even. Not wishing to waste any time or allow himself to become any further distracted by her body, he jumped into his line of questioning. "Did Kabuto ever tell you why you're here?"

"Kabuto-san informed me that I was to be your birthday present, Sasuke-san," she replied obediently, a vague flicker of confused bemusement crossing her face. "It was Orochimaru-sama's wish."

 _Just like the Snake himself had said. Well, she was useless. Although, come to think of it, there were one or two things that she was_ exceedingly _good for, as she'd shown him last…_

 _Hn. He was getting nowhere, and crude thinking certainly wasn't going to help matters._ Wishing for some space before he did anything else he'd regret, Sasuke climbed out of bed, somewhat dismayed to find that a good bit of him rather missed her soft warmth. Slipping on his boxer briefs and collecting fresh clothing from a dresser to the right of the bed, he glanced over his shoulder, a faint echo of the desire that he'd felt last night stirring within as he took in the heady sight of her bare body. Then, throwing on his usual training attire - white shirt open in front for freedom of motion, black pants with a purple overlay, purple belt - he made for the door, intensely aware that the kunoichi's eyes were tracking his every movement closely. "I'll see you later," he found himself saying as his hand came to the knob.

 _Wait, since when did_ he _bother with such pleasantries?_

* * *

Two more weeks ticked by. Orochimaru's body had grown so weak that he no longer joined Sasuke's training sessions, spending almost all of his time cloistered in his chambers, Kabuto close at hand. Left to his own devices, the Uchiha found his daytime thoughts almost fully occupied by what was to come. _Soon, he would strike, crushing the rogue Sannin like the vermin he was_. With the Snake dead, he would depart Oto forever, amass a small team to assist him in his quest, and then finally, _finally_ face the traitorous brother who had destroyed his life. _Yes, vengeance would be sweet indeed._

As for his nights… well, after his first interlude with Anzu, Sasuke tried to keep his distance. Now that he'd had her once, her body was far more alluring than before, but he fought the urge, not wishing to become any further involved or distracted from his mission. Four nights in, however, he cracked, spurred on by another dream of Sakura, almost identical to the first. As before, he'd awoken almost delirious with need just as the dream version of his former teammate had begun trailing a series of searing kisses down his lower abdominals. Wordlessly, he'd risen from his blankets, fallen upon the Oto kunoichi before his rational mind could stop him, and quickly ravished her, his mind's eye captivated all along by the phantom memory of emerald eyes, watching him expectantly from below his navel. On a practical level, he abhorred his behavior - fucking a girl he fully intended to abandon in a matter of weeks just because of his desire for another when he had _far more_ important tasks at hand - but between the haze of his dream-fueled lust and the monotony of his waking hours, he found himself powerless to resist.

Whether Orochimaru knew about his new intimacy with the kunoichi, he did not know, although he certainly had his suspicions. Given his master's ill health, Sasuke saw the man less than usual, but when he did, there was a certain calculating look that occasionally crept onto his face, particularly on those few occasions where the Snake mentioned the girl by name. As always, Sasuke kept his face impassive, yet the knowing glare of those piercing yellow eyes cast a distinct sense of unease, causing the Uchiha to wonder, not for the first time, if the man had the power to read minds.

* * *

Late in the afternoon, fifteen days after first sleeping with Anzu, Sasuke was in his usual training area, running through a series of increasingly demanding kunai drills. This particular exercise - leaping into the air and simultaneously throwing eight kunai while inverted at targets spread throughout the room - was one he'd taken from Itachi. As a boy, he'd often spied on his brother's training sessions and had seen him perform this series more times than he could count, the epitome of a perfect shinobi as he'd repeatedly impaled all eight knives in perfect bulls-eyes, no matter how difficult the placement of his targets. At the time, he'd watched his brother open mouthed, but, now, well, he took a decided amount of satisfaction in knowing that, at least when it came to Shurikenjutsu, he was every bit his equal.

Two hours in, he was interrupted in midair, shortly after releasing his latest volley of weapons, by the soft click of the door. Twisting around to land on his feet, Sasuke took in the familiar sight of Kabuto's silver hair, thick glasses glinting in the candlelight, and purple tunic. A cold smirk was plastered across his face, and his eyes were locked rather unpleasantly on Sasuke's, a bold move given his already activated Sharingan. "Sasuke-kun," the man murmured, voice dripping with intense dislike, "Orochimaru-sama would like to see you."

"Hn." Sasuke eyed his new companion with disdain, seeking some hint as to the man's intent, but Kabuto's gaze was unyielding. A prickle of anticipation rose up his spine as he slowly followed the medic out of the training room and down the narrow, sloping hall towards the Sannin's chambers. _Was this it? After five years of biding his time, of absorbing all he could of the Snake's techniques, was this the day he'd finally break free?_ He hadn't intended to make his move for several weeks yet and had rather hoped that Kabuto _wouldn't_ be present, but he was confident in his abilities to take down both men if the need be.

Rather unexpectedly, Kabuto turned left well before Orochimaru's complex of rooms, stopping in front of a wooden door that Sasuke had never before entered. This itself wasn't exactly a surprise. After all, the Oto lair was a literal labyrinth of passages, false doors, traps, and chambers, and Sasuke generally stuck to a few "safe" areas: his designated training caverns, Orochimaru's audience chamber, the room in Kabuto's lab where he underwent his various treatments, and his own bedroom. Aware of the danger lurking around every corner and not wishing to learn anymore of the Snake than was absolutely required for his development into his brother's equal, Sasuke had quickly concluded upon his arrival that random exploration was not in his best interest if he wished to escape from Sound alive, unpossessed, sane, and whole. He could protect himself… but there was no need to go _looking_ for danger.

He followed the medic silently through the door, Sharingan activated and right hand resting in feigned casualness on the hilt of his chokuto. Crossing the threshold, they entered an arena, similar to the training rooms but far larger, with a high, arched ceiling and candles flickering on the wall in typical Oto style, casting long shadows across the stone floor. For a moment, Sasuke was reminded rather ominously of the stadium in which he'd long ago fought Gaara of the Desert. While this was obviously underground and lack the crowd of thousands, a similar ambiance hung over the space. _Yes, this was most definitely a place for battle._

Directing his attention across the dimly lit room, his eyes met the snake-like orbs of Orochimaru. The Sannin half-sat, half-reclined on a stone bench, his skeletal figure wrapped in a pale purple blanket. Studying the man's face, Sasuke took in his straggled hair, dark-rimmed eyes, and pale, chapped lips, all signs of his current body's rapidly approaching expiration date. "Ah, Sasuke-kun, how good of you to come." The Snake's oily voice echoed through the space, a hungry smile curving across his lips. _It wasn't like he'd had a choice._ "I have a nice little _surprise_ for you, today; a chance to test your mettle against an exceedingly worthy opponent… someone whom you're already extremely _familiar_ with."

At that, Sasuke tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, mind running through the short list of possible candidates. _Juugo? No, as far as he knew, the man was locked away deep within the Sannin's Northern Hideout, and he rather doubted that Orochimaru would want to risk any real harm coming to his future host's body so close to the transfer. Not that he wasn't capable of defeating the man in battle, of course. Suigetsu? As far as he knew, the unlucky bastard was still submerged in that water tank of Kabuto's. Speaking of the devil, Kabuto himself would be an interesting choice given his medical ninjutsu and their mutual hatred, but he rather doubted that the Snake would pit two of his most valuable assets against one another..._

The soft noise of another door opening and shutting echoed from the far side of the arena, and Sasuke's gaze jumped to the source, eyes widening in frank shock as they took in the too-familiar curves, strawberry-blonde hair tied back and partially covered by a Sound hitai-ate, and seafoam eyes of... _Anzu?_ Accustomed to her succession of flimsy nightgowns, he found himself doing a double take at her current attire: knee-length shinobi boots, white bandages wound around her left thigh and both wrists, tight black shorts, and a tan tunic cinched with a purple rope belt resembling his own. He'd known that she was a kunoichi from the start thanks to her chakra, but he'd never expected to actually _fight_ her _._ His brow furrowed at the thought. He didn't _care_ for her - _of course he didn't -_ but the idea of harming someone with whom he'd been intimate, whose body he'd availed himself of as recently as last night, was… _distasteful._

Well, he _could_ try to reason with her. After all, she'd seemed exceedingly besotted from the moment she'd first laid eyes on him. _Then again, perhaps that's what she'd_ intended _him to believe._ For there was a different intensity to her now, the desire for his body replaced by something that looked and felt an awful lot like blood lust. Averting her gaze from his - _so, she knew a thing or two about his Sharingan, then_ \- the kunoichi smiled harshly. "Surprised to see me, _Sasuke-kun_?" The tenor of her voice dripped with malice, yet still, somehow possessed a darkly alluring quality.

"Ah," the Uchiha admitted, the muscles in his right arm tensing as he prepared to draw his weapon. He didn't _want_ this battle, but it was seeming increasingly likely that he might not have much of a choice. And, to complicate matters further, it appeared that she was far better versed in his abilities than he was in hers. She'd lived with him for months, yet, other than how she looked naked and fucking, he knew virtually nothing about her. Her fighting style, her strengths and weaknesses, whether or not she possessed a _Kekkei Genkai_ … she was a mystery to him. _Tch, he'd been a fool. Lulled to complacency by his desire and the soft willingness of her body, he'd never stopped to think that there was anything more to her, that her innocent act could all be a ruse._

"Anzu-chan tells me that the two of you have become _close_ , Sasuke-kun. It's truly a pity that only one will survive this little _lovers' spat_." Amused by his own perversions, Orochimaru let out a chuckle that soon morphed into a long, hacking cough, clutching at his chest as he doubled over in evident pain. Not caring if his master choked to death, Sasuke felt his jaw clench at the full realization of how completely he'd been boxed in. _A battle to the death. Would Orochimaru truly allow this girl to kill him if he refused to play the Snake's game?_ He rather doubted it - the man's obsession with the power of his eyes had made him untouchable for five years now - but the Sannin also believed firmly in survival of the fittest, and he didn't relish testing his luck through forfeiture. _For, if he died today, his clan would never be avenged..._

Anzu made his decision for him. Reaching behind her head, she pulled a pair of senbon out of her ponytail and hurled them, almost lightning fast, directly at his eyes, her gaze clouded with killing intent. Fortunately, his Sharingan made him fast as lightning. Sasuke sprung into the air, safely out of harm's way, and the senbon hit the stone wall behind him, clattering to the ground. As he descended back towards the earth, he drew his sword. _If she used senbon, she was likely a long-range type. Kenjutsu it was._

She was ready for him, however. As his sandal-clad feet hit the floor, his eyes took in the glint of a long, thin blade that she'd summoned with a series of rapid hand seals during his descent. _Hn, scratch that thought. She was no long-range kunoichi, but rather a full-on weapons mistress. A bit more of a challenge, but he could easily handle that as well._ The clash of their blades echoed through the room, and she flashed him an aggressive smirk across the steel. "You're _mine_ , Uchiha," she murmured, the throatiness of her tone reminding him rather strangely of the moans she'd uttered last night in his bed. _Tch, mind out of the gutter._ It was clear that his skill in hand-to-hand combat was superior, but she wasn't exactly a slouch. _Indeed, she was probably high chunin level judging from the moves he'd seen so far..._

She lunged directly for his heart, evidently accustomed to taking the part of the aggressor. Thanks to his Sharingan, however, he saw the attack coming a mile off. Flipping backwards, Sasuke smirked as she stumbled, her weight quickly thrown off balance, and he prepared himself to take the offensive, suppressing the victorious smirk that threatened to creep across his face. _This was too easy._ _But, he wouldn't kill her..._ _Itachi was the killer, not he._ _Besides, he hadn't even wanted this fight in the first place._ _Now, to force her into making eye contact and bring an end to this farce of a battle..._

But it appeared that the kunoichi had a trick or two up her sleeves. Just as Sasuke had committed to his attack, she steadied herself and grasped for the holster on her left thigh, seizing a kunai with her right hand. _Damn. It appeared that the stumble a few seconds earlier had been a diversion. Once again, he'd underestimated her._ Shifting backwards, he dropped back into a defensive posture and reached for his own knife, prepared to parry her blow. But it never came. Instead, he watched in a mixture of perverse fascination and disgust as she ran the tip of the knife across her tongue, drawing blood. It was… _purple._

"Anzu is a member of the Takifugu clan, Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru's voice rasped out, his delight at the battle before him evident in his tone. "Skilled in weapons usage of all kinds, they have a particularly fascinating _Kekkei Genkai_ … highly poisonous blood. She's the epitome of a deadly beauty, wouldn't you say? A word to the wise: Not even Kabuto has come up with an antidote to her venom. I'd avoid that blade… _if you can._ "

 _Hn, a poison user against whom his resistance to toxins would apparently be useless. Well, he'd just have to make sure to dodge, then._

The kunoichi released the knife, and he deflected it easily, sending it clattering to the floor. As it hit the ground, however, a clone sprung up where it struck, eyeing him with the same murderous intent as the original. _Worse and worse… some sort of kunai bunshin jutsu._ Both kunoichi reached into the weapons pouches dangling from their belts, and Sasuke's resolve stiffened. _It was her or him… and it_ had _to be him._

Dodging the second shower of poison-tipped daggers - possibly sensing his change in intent, she'd upped the quantity of projectiles significantly - he summoned Chidori into his left palm, bathing the arena in a display of deathly blue electricity. Her eyes widened in frank dismay at the sight, and her hands rapidly beginning to weave a series of signs with which he was unacquainted. _He couldn't let her complete that jutsu._ Leaping forward, Sasuke dodged a third volley from the clone, one particularly well-aimed kunai whizzing a centimeter away from his left cheek. His path now clear, he launched himself straight at the kunoichi's chest, grimacing in utter hatred - of the girl for her foolishness, Orochimaru for his cruelty, and, most of all, himself for falling prey to the Snake's machinations - as he forced the ball of electricity straight through her heart.

For a moment, time seemingly stopped, and his Sharingan absorbed the scene, committing it to memory. _Her seafoam eyes reflecting a strange combination of fear and rage... the full lips he'd kissed so greedily hours before hanging slightly open in unmuted surprise… her lovely body tensed in anticipation of the pain, seeking to twist away from him, yet far too slow to save itself from inevitable destruction._ Then, he blinked, and it was all over, his ears ringing with the high-pitched wail that was her death cry.

As the clone disappeared with a tiny "pop," Anzu's lifeless body fell to the floor, the strawberry-blonde hair that had first captured his attention fanning out around her pale face, light-green eyes glassy. Sasuke stepped backwards, left palm twitching slightly from the after-effects of the jutsu, the soft sound of his retreating footsteps magnified by the sudden silence of the arena. A surprisingly painful remorse stirred in his chest at the horror of what had just transpired and the growing realization that _this_ was what Orochimaru had intended all along. He refused to look at her, keeping his eyes focused on his own feet. _She'd been an enemy... his hand had been forced… but they'd also been intimate… fellow victims of circumstance..._

" _Well done_ , Sasuke-kun," came his master's oily voice, penetrating the heavy silence of the arena. "For a moment there, I thought you'd failed this little exercise. But your killing intent won out, just as I'd anticipated. You truly have become... _worthy_."

At that, Sasuke slowly turned his gaze upwards, deadly red eyes meeting the Sannin's golden orbs, the killing intent from the battle still rolling off of him in waves. _No. Not today... but soon. Soon, the Snake would get what was coming to him._


	21. The Diagnosis

_[AN: I'm back! Sorry for the delay in between chapters. I ended up writing a one-shot as a little break, and it ended up turning into a seven-shot that I decided to finish up before coming back to this tale (I also learned a very helpful lesson... authoring two stories concurrently doesn't work so well for me!). Thanks for bearing with me and for the follows, favorites, and comments, as always! As usual, this next chapter is rated M for mature situations, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 21: The Diagnosis**

 _It was rather strange to be back in Konoha_. To wake in Sakura's room each morning to the hubbub of activity on the streets below, the district slowly coming to life. To hear the sweet cries of children running home for lunch from the Academy, the excited chatter of kunais and jutsus, of friendships forged and enemies made. To watch the famed Konoha sunset fall over the Hokage Mountain from his perch in her little bed by the window, setting the village on fire in brilliant hues of orange, pink, yellow, and red before slowly giving way to the starry night. While he'd returned once before since the massacre - soon after the Sandaime's death, spurred on by the knowledge that _someone_ needed to make a statement to Danzo that his brother remained off limits - this time was different. It was as if his life was coming full circle… as if, after a decade away, a decade of espionage, of wandering, and of crime, he had truly come _home_. It was a feeling he'd never again thought he'd experience, and it ushered in a new sense of peace over his spirit. His self-imposed mission wasn't over quite yet, but, at long last, the finish line was in sight.

Over the past six days, Sakura had spent most of her waking hours in his company. For, at the end of his first appointment with the Hokage, Tsunade had grudgingly informed him that her apprentice would be taking on the role of his personal medic and "jailer" for the time being and had excused the girl from all upcoming hospital shifts. Accustomed to a good detail of personal space, Itachi had been somewhat wary of the arrangement, but, in retrospect, he didn't exactly mind her companionship. _Far from it_. The days that he spent convalescing with her by his side flew by like a wonderful dream, full of tender glances, thoughtful gestures, healing caresses, soft lips, kind words, and a slender yet supple body that he was coming to deeply appreciate. Shisui had been his best friend and confidante, Sasuke his beloved otouto, Kakashi his first real romantic interest, but Sakura… well she'd become decidedly _dear_ to him, despite his resistance to the possibility of emotional attachments.

Unfortunately, their time together in her little room was not allowed to go fully uninterrupted. While Sakura was keeping most of her peer group and parents away with a white lie about needing to complete some high-level, top-secret medical ninjutsu research for her shishou, two other people currently based in Konoha knew of his presence, and neither one was exactly a stranger.

Since the morning that the Copy Ninja had stumbled upon him in the kunoichi's apartment, Hatake had been by three more times, enthusiastically taking up Sakura on her too-generous offer of lunch and tea. _He'd always been an insufferable mooch, even during their ANBU days._ During the man's visits, Itachi kept largely to himself, feigning sleep until the meal was served _(might as well milk the "almost died" thing for all that it was worth_ ) and allowing the kunoichi to dominate their conversations, throwing in the occasional "Hn" and "Ah" for good measure. After his one-on-one chat with Hatake that first morning, they'd reached some sort of understanding, a treaty of sorts (even if he _had_ lost is cool for a moment or two, falling victim to the emotional rawness of his teenage memories despite knowing far better). That being said, it was clear that they'd never return to the former intimacy they'd once shared as teammates, friends, and _almost_ more. _Tch, which was for the best, really. After all, there was_ Sakura…

Speaking of the kunoichi... Itachi could tell that she was rather curious about the glaringly obvious tension between her beloved ex-sensei and lover. The way her eyes traveled from one to the other when she thought they weren't looking, the casually nonchalant queries about life in Konoha back in the day… she wasn't exactly subtle. That being said, he was dead set on not letting anything slip, and Hatake, to his credit, seemed to be in agreement. It was ancient history, but it was _their_ history, and they were both exceedingly private people, even when it came to the pink-haired girl whose damnably adorable smile and alluring green eyes had wormed her into their hearts. For, _yes_ , he could tell that his old Taichou was interested in his ex-student. The Copy Ninja attempted to hide it - and it was clear from the congenial way that she treated him that Sakura had absolutely no clue - but Itachi had caught the momentary flash of jealousy in the man's visible eye when she'd mindlessly caressed his hand during their first lunch. He'd never _say_ anything, of course - such pettiness was far beneath him - but the knowledge was rather… _amusing_.

Their other visitor was, of course, Tsunade herself. Somehow _(likely due to the suffering of some poor assistant)_ , the Hokage had managed to stop by Sakura's apartment for a good half-hour each of the past six days, performing a litany of tests, collecting samples until he felt like a pincushion, providing Sakura with some tips on his treatment course, and even offering up some of her own precious chakra to the cause of restoring his lungs. The effects of the two medic-nins' treatments were remarkable. Even after his relatively brief time in their care, Itachi couldn't help but be amazed at how much his body had recovered… and how sick he'd been in the first place. Having grown accustomed to his illness sapping away his life force over a half-decade of managing, he'd long ago stopped noticing what a toll the condition had taken. But now… he hadn't felt so full of energy in years. _Which was a very good thing, given how insatiable Sakura had been last night..._

 _Tch. Save the smut for later. He was supposed to be listening to Tsunade's diagnosis_. As had become the norm during these healing sessions, Itachi presently lay on his back in bed, the Godaime seated on one of the kunoichi's kitchen chairs next to him, and Sakura herself hovering nearby, eager to assist her mistress. "You have what we call in the medical world an autoimmune disease, Uchiha-san," Tsunade was saying, a rather self-satisfied smile strung across her glossy lips. From what Sakura had said, the Hokage had spent far more time than she should have researching his illness, and she seemed exceedingly pleased that her work had finally paid off. "I've run some genetic tests, and your particular mutation appears to be an extremely rare, recessive condition, likely caused by inbreeding. There were only a few other cases in the medical literature, and they all could be traced to clans with Kekkei Genkai..."

She continued to babble on about this and that study, but Itachi had heard enough. Ignoring the medic-nin jargon, he frowned, running the key words through his head in a mostly futile attempt at understanding. " _Autoimmune." That sounded awfully vague and strangely like it was somehow_ his _fault_. _And who was she calling "recessive," "mutant," and "inbred"? It seemed that the famed Slug Princess might very well have a death wish. He was NOT weak, and she'd do well to remember that._

He let out a "hn" as the woman finally let up her chatter and eyed him expectantly, as if wishing him to sing her praises. But he certainly wouldn't be giving her _that_ satisfaction. Seeking to sooth his frustration, his eyes drifted over the woman's shoulder to Sakura's fascinated face, his irritation at his utter lack of comprehension not managing to fully cancel out the warm feeling that the shine in her green eyes awakened within him. The longer they spent together, the better Sakura became at reading him, and she seemed to sense now that her mistress's words required elaboration. _Or maybe she was just accustomed to the damned woman's poor bedside manner._ "What _Shishou_ means, Itachi-san, is that your condition is extremely rare," Sakura began slowly, the soft smile on her face all that was keeping him from declaring this little health consultation over. "It's a _recessive mutation_ , which means that your parents each had a copy of the gene causing it. They then passed it on to you, and since you inherited two copies of the gene for the condition and no healthy copies, you manifested the illness."

 _Ah_. _That mostly made sense_. "And…. _autoimmune_ …?" The word rolled awkwardly off of his tongue, and he grimaced, disliking the sense of being out of his element. After all, he knew nothing of medical ninjutsu and vastly preferred to be the one with the knowledge and control. _It was part of the reason he'd made it his business to be good at just about everything from a young age._

"Autoimmune, as in, your immune system is attacking your body." Tsunade took back over with an impatient eye roll. "Your lungs, specifically. In layman's terms, your body thinks that the cells in your lungs are foreign invaders and is attempting to wipe them out. This explains the symptoms you've been experiencing for the past five years - bleeding, fatigue, coughing fits, shortness of breath - and the scarring that Sakura discovered. Had we not started a treatment course when we did, you would have soon asphyxiated from oxygen deprivation due to the degree of damage."

"Hn."

"Hai, _hn_ ," Tsunade replied impatiently. "Just so we're clear, your lungs are a damned _mess_ , Uchiha. You're _extremely_ lucky you've survived as long as you have, but you'll need to be a great deal more careful going forward. No more pills from fringe healers, no more decades between fully trained medic-nin visits, no more using chakra to suppress your symptoms. You'll be able to live a normal, functional shinobi life if you work with us, but it's going to require a serious commitment on your part. We can't _reverse_ the damage, but we can stabilize you and prevent it from getting worse through regular, weekly treatments."

 _Well, that would have been reassuring… if he'd planned on living past next week, that was._ As Itachi mulled over his diagnosis, he came to a far more alarming thought. "Tsunade-sama," he began quietly, his voice deadly serious, "If my condition is genetic, then what of my otouto?"

"Ah, they didn't proclaim you a prodigy for nothing, did they, now, Uchiha," Tsunade chortled ( _rather too casually, if you asked him_ … _Sasuke's_ health _was serious business)_. "The thought occurred to me, as well. After all, according to good old Mendelian theory, the brat has a one-in-four chance of having the illness and a fifty percent chance of being a carrier." _Kami, why couldn't the woman just get on with it already._ "So, I sent Sakura into the archives to dig out his genin medical records."

"He's _all right_ , Itachi," Sakura cut in, emerald eyes growing a touch moist. _Hn, was she lovely like that._ "At least, there wasn't any sign in his records of any symptoms or test results that drew concern. And he was always examined by the top medics in Konoha given the rarity of his Sharingan and position as clan heir, so it's extremely unlikely that they would have missed anything."

"Ah." Itachi felt the uncomfortable weight that had been gathering in his chest lift slightly, only to come crashing back moments later by an additional thought. "I wasn't aware I was unwell until I was eighteen." _And Sasuke was eighteen now. Which meant that he could be just beginning to experience the first signs of sickness… the sudden exhaustion, the strange moments of nausea, the shortness of breath after performing a training exercise he'd easily accomplished thousands of times..._

"And there's that legendary Uchiha mind, hard at work again," Tsunade commented lightly, although her expression had taken on a new look of seriousness. "Actually, you raise a fair concern. The last physical performed on Sasuke occurred a couple of weeks before his defection, but that _was_ over five years ago, and, at the time, it would have been senseless to run the full genetic testing required for a conclusive answer to this question. The medic who examined Sasuke is one of our best, but you simply don't do full genomic testing without just cause. Without your brother here for some samples, we don't have a way of definitively confirming his status."

"Hn. And, as for any future offspring -?" Over the Hokage's shoulder, Itachi noticed a blush creeping across Sakura's cheeks and stifled the surprisingly jealous frown that was threatening to creep over his face. _Well, the thought_ had _occurred to him when he'd first kidnapped her, assuming his little brother wasn't a complete and utter fool, but he wasn't entirely sure_ how _he felt about the possibility of this particular kunoichi bearing Sasuke's children anymore. No, probably best not to dwell._

"Sakura, remind me to speak to Iruka about introducing some basic biology into the Academy curriculum," Tsunade commented, expertly ignoring the tension between her patient and assistant. "Really, the _things_ that otherwise highly intelligent Konoha nin don't know… I'll never get over it."

Itachi glared up at her - _Did every piece of information have to be accompanied by an insult? -_ and Tsunade shrugged. "As long as the brat doesn't stumble on some poor, unsuspecting kunoichi who also happens to be a carrier - which is _extremely_ unlikely given that yours is the only clan in all of Konoha to have ever expressed this allele - you can rest assured that your future nieces and nephews won't share your malady." With that, the woman stood, stretched to elicit a rather massive back crack, made some comment to Sakura about getting back to her office before Shizune officially had a nervous breakdown, and muttered one more parting shot under her breath that had Itachi glowering anew. "Kami forbid that said brats inherit the Uchiha penchant for possessiveness _._ "

 _The Godaime really was a piece of work._

* * *

Following the conclusion of Tsunade's visit, Sakura set about throwing together a salad for dinner, leaving Itachi to doze for a spell. The man's health had improved dramatically over the last forty-eight hours, in particular - he'd even muttered something about wishing he could go out and train that morning - but she could tell that his body remained rather drained from all it had gone through over the past, well, decade. _And_ she needed him rested if she was going to be taking a look at his eyes later that evening. For she'd promised the Hokage she'd try her best to do so, and she couldn't let her down, even if the prospect of broaching the subject of tinkering with his prized Sharingan was a bit… _intimidating._

The day after coming clean to Tsunade, her shishou had called her back to her office while Itachi was resting, this time for a truly solo interview. Despite her trepidation - after all, Tsunade's tantrums were the stuff of legends, and she'd concealed an awful lot from her mentor - the visit was surprisingly cordial. Tsunade seemed positively sedate after the previous day's excitement, which Sakura suspected might very possibly have to do with the absence of a certain toad-summoning fellow Sannin. They'd spoken for a good fifteen minutes, going over Itachi's intentions in more detail, the results of his first labs (negative for tuberculosis, heart failure, cancer, and just about every other "likely candidate," which meant that they were back to square one), and the treatment course for the week. Then, as Tsunade rose to see her out, she shifted the conversation to a slightly different subject. "You know, Sakura, I don't mean to put you on the spot, but this _would_ be an excellent opportunity for us to learn more about the Sharingan firsthand. Kakashi's transplant has certainly been useful, but I suspect that the eyes of a true Uchiha are an entirely different animal."

"Hai, shishou," she'd agreed meekly, unwilling to risk the woman's formidable wrath at the very end of a visit that had been going so well. Then, her mind flashed back to the time she'd first treated Itachi on Toki. _What had he said then? "Don't touch the eyes." Hm… that didn't exactly bode well. Nor did the resistance he'd shown to her sharing the guide to his family's Kekkei Genkai with Tsunade just last night._ Convinced by her memories and her past experiences with attempting to study the Byakugan that this was likely an extremely poor idea, she'd opened her mouth to protest, only to find herself staring at the closed door of the office. Likely sensing her impending change of heart, Tsunade had been too quick for her, extracting her agreement and then shutting her out before she could change her mind.

 _And now, six days later, she still hadn't done_ a thing _about broaching the subject._ Setting the bowls on the kitchen table, she roused Itachi from his nap, and they sat down for their meal, the room falling silent after a quick "Itadakimasu." Sakura tried to concentrate on her lettuce, but about two-thirds of the way through the somewhat lackluster greens, she gave up, pushing the remainder away and setting down her chopsticks. Looking up, she discovered that Itachi's dark eyes were upon her, regarding her rather curiously, as if he already knew that she was up to something. "Itachi-san," Sakura began, her hands coming together nervously on the table, "Now that your body is doing so much better, I was wondering if you'd reconsider permitting me to take a look at your eyes."

The Uchiha frowned, and Sakura felt an uncomfortable sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "For what purpose?" He asked, his gaze never faltering from hers. _Well, that wasn't a flat-out "no."_ The kunoichi felt her cheeks growing warm under his watch, the nervousness now accompanied by the earliest flutter of arousal.

"I just thought… I could help reduce some of your vision problems a bit," she half-lied, hoping that she sounded calmer than she felt. "I've looked at Kaka-sensei's eyes before, so it's not like I've never worked on a Sharingan. _And_ I've read your book cover to cover."

"Hn." Itachi leaned back in his chair, his arms crossing in front of his chest as he looked her over carefully. "The Hokage put you up to this, didn't she?"

 _Of course, he saw right through her._ Sakura nodded weakly, her eyes falling to her crossed hands in embarrassment. "I'm… _sorry_ , Itachi. I know how much a Kekkei Genkai means to its clan members. I should have told shishou that I couldn't do it right when she first -"

She fell silent at the sensation of two slender fingers tracing their way under her chin and returning her gaze upwards, back to meet their owner's. "Sakura," he began, his voice soft and silky now, as if coaxing a small child to stop crying, "I'll let you work on my eyes." For a moment, she smiled broadly, her heart beating hard in her chest at the sensation of his touch and the knowledge that he _trusted_ her with his most precious possession. Itachi's expression remained stony, however, quickly chasing away any thoughts of romance. "Whatever information about the Sharingan that you learn, though, is for _your_ edification only."

"But, _Itachi_ … that's not really how the medical field works. It's a collab-"

" _Sakura_." He cut her off rather harshly, fingertips dropping from her chin. The surprisingly intimidating aura radiating off of him was a sudden, unnerving reminder that he was still a powerful, _dangerous_ shinobi, despite how much he'd let her in since his arrival in Konoha. "That's how _this_ is going to work. Or it won't be happening at all. Contrary to what you may think, I am not a vain man. Whatever clan pride I possessed died the day I found out the truth about the Uchiha. This isn't about keeping the secrets of dead men who put themselves before their village... it's a matter of Sasuke's _security_."

Sakura frowned, not entirely following, and Itachi sighed, the tension on his brow residing slightly. "For generations, as with the Byakugan and the Rinnegan, there have been many who have lusted for the Sharingan, driven by their thirst for the legendary powers they promise. Indeed, Orochimaru is just the latest in a long lineage of would-be wielders, and I have reason to believe that he is not presently alone in his quest for Sasuke's birthright. To possess a Kekkei Genkai like this is a blessing - I cannot deny that - but it is also a curse, placing a target on the user's back. I don't suppose you've ever taken a close look at a Bingo Book?"

Sakura shook her head, and Itachi nodded in acknowledgment. "I assumed as much… it's not exactly appropriate reading for a Konoha medic-nin of your standing. If you were to look, you'd find that, with some exceptions, those shinobi with the highest bounties on their heads come from clans with bloodline limits. Indeed, the rarer and more powerful the ability, the higher the price. And for the rarest, among which the Sharingan clearly ranks, the value is astronomical."

He paused, blinking once, as if clearing his head of some distant memory, and, when he spoke again, his voice was even lower than before, scarcely more than a whisper. "Now, say that you wanted a Sharingan of your own but could not conceivably obtain one. For, as Orochimaru will soon discover for the _second_ time, claiming the eyes of a living Uchiha is not an easy feat." He smirked darkly, and Sakura suppressed an uneasy shudder at the deadly gaze across the table. "Your sensei's unique circumstances aside, most in my clan have historically been… _hesitant_ to part with their sight, for reasons that I assume are clear. Given these difficulties and the current scarcity, I'm sure you'll agree that learning the inner workings of the Sharingan, whether you intended to attempt to reproduce some of its powers yourself or better know its weakness in battle, would be the next best thing? It is for this reason, Sakura, that I expect you to protect _whatever_ information you learn about my clan's eyes - _everything_ you learn - with your life."

"I… will," Sakura breathlessly promised, her mentor's earlier request forgotten. Her previous experience with Kekkei Genkai research had often left her frustrated with the clans who possessed them, assuming that their refusals to disclose clan-held information in the name of medical progress was simply a sign of their pride at being "special." _How very wrong she'd been_. "You know, Itachi, you don't _need_ to go through with this. If it makes you uncomfortable… if you'd prefer that I _not_ know…"

"Oh, but I very much wish _you_ to know, Sakura," he replied, the warmth that she'd grown accustomed to over the past few days returning to his voice and gaze. Rising from the table, he made his way back to her bed and lay down, his arms crossing underneath his head. "To be frank, I could care less what you are able to do for my vision... I do not anticipate living long enough for it to make a difference. No, this too, is for Sasuke. Once he returns to Konoha, he will need a medic well-versed in the proper care of his Sharingan, and I intend you to take on that role. You didn't suppose that I provided my clan's guide for pleasure reading, did you?"

He fell silent, and Sakura idly flicked on the lamp on the table at the realization that dusk had fallen some time ago. _He'd truly thought of everything. And he trusted her so absolutely… not only with his life, but with Sasuke's._ Quelling the butterflies that had begun dancing in her stomach at this heady affirmation, Sakura sprung to action, setting up a mobile medic-nin workstation on the bedside table: a notepad and pen for jotting down her observations, eye drops, and the ocular tools that she used for routine eye exams, summoned from one of the scrolls in her hospital bag. Settling into the desk chair she'd once again pulled next to the bed, she began her examination, trying to ignore how fast her heart was beating due to the combined forces of the proximity of the Uchiha's reclining body to her own, the scent of her slightly minty soap on his skin, and, most distractingly, the way that he watched her work, his expression all at once curious, somewhat tentative, and infinitely patient. _Medic mode. She was supposed to be in medic mode._

Sakura spent quite some time on the examination portion of their session, carefully documenting Itachi's current condition and the shifts in his ocular chakra flow as he switched from unactivated eyes to Sharingan to Mangekyo Sharingan under her orders, fighting off the desire to lose herself in the mesmerizing swirl of his tomoe. Once satisfied with this portion of her report, she set about stimulating the network around his eyes with her own chakra, observing the effects and running several basic diagnostic tests she'd read about in the _Secrets_. Finally, she entered the healing phase, the chakra emanating from her hands casting Itachi's tired face in a ghostly green glow as they hovered above him, carefully removing as much of the chakra that she'd discovered building up around his fiber-thin ocular nerves as she could. It was detailed, labor-intensive work, and after slightly over an hour of healing, she could already feel the telltale fatigue of declining chakra stores.

Itachi seemed to sense her weariness as well. Opening his eyes (she'd instructed him to close them for the treatment portion, as much to avoid the distraction of his gaze as for any other reason), he looked up at her pensively. "I think that's enough for tonight, Sakura," he commented softly. As she quelled the chakra flowing from her palms, his warm hands wrapped themselves around her wrists, and she shivered appreciatively at his touch. Then, he shifted slightly on the bed, moving back towards the window, the warmth in his eyes growing. "You're tired. Come… join me."

She didn't need to be asked twice. Setting aside her notebook, she climbed onto the bed, allowing him to take her into his arms. As he slowly began to undress her, Sakura let out a little sigh of pleasure, savoring the sensation of his touch. "I _enjoy_ watching you work," Itachi commented, as he deftly unclasped her bra. "Your focus, your attention to detail. Did you learn anything of interest?"

"Mhmm…" she agreed, her affirmation turning into a moan as his hands found her sensitive nipples, quickly teasing them to peaks.

"Tell me."

 _Ugh, did he really expect her to talk about work while his hands were occupied with sliding her panties down her thighs?_ It appeared so, for his movements stilled at her silence, and his eyes flicked to her face, a vague mirth that could only be labelled _teasing_ behind them. "Tell me, _Sakura_ ," he repeated, pulling the red lace of her panties down a bit further, a silent affirmation that she would get what she wanted if she satisfied his curiosity.

She swallowed hard, trying to will her mind to focus on what she'd jotted down not even an hour ago. "Well, the initial exam was very… ah… interesting," she replied as he finished stripping her of her panties, leaving her bare.

"Very _interesting,_ " he repeated, his eyes drifting over her nude figure, telling her that her words were not the only thing of interest to him. "How so?" His fingers traced the outline of her torso, running slowly over her thighs. _Ah, how she craved those fingers… elsewhere…_

"Well, I… uh… discovered that the effect of your Mangekyo exerts a strain on your ocular nerves hundreds of times more powerful than… ah… the usual Sharingan. _More,_ please, Itachi..."

He'd allowed a finger to slip inside her, gently stroking at a pace that was so, torturously slow. "Ah. I would also like to know _more_ ," he replied the slightest smirk of a smile spreading across his handsome face. _How did he do it? How did he maintain such ironclad control when she was literally falling apart at the mere touch of his fingertips?_

"Mo-or-re?" His finger ran over her clit, and her hips bucked upward at the tantalizing sensation before they danced away again, leaving her aching for fulfillment. _Focus, focus. You can do this._ "I think that's why your eyes have declined so quickly…" she gasped out, wriggling her hips in a futile attempt to force him to touch her most sensitive spot once again. "You've been overusing... your Mangekyo."

"Ah. Very good." Evidently satisfied with her conclusion, he gave in to her craving, right index and middle fingers drawing circles that quickly had her panting. All too soon, however, he stopped, withdrawing entirely to her immense frustration. "But, unfortunately for you, I already knew that _,_ " he continued darkly, his eyes shifting from black to red in a sign of his own arousal. "Tell me _more_."

"More?" _Oh, he was so unfair. She couldn't remember any_ more _when he was looking at her like_ _that!_ Not to mention as he slowly tugged off his own clothing, revealing his sinful body, in a promise of what was to come. But he'd made himself perfectly clear: That promise would only be fulfilled if she told him something else. _Something he didn't know._ "The strain… the overuse… it's actually caused by chakra build-up." _Gods, was his nakedness distracting… his shoulders, his torso, his abdominals, his… ungh._ She shut her eyes and let out a deep breath, trying valiantly to ignore the fact that he was positioning himself between her thighs, his hardness brushing tantalizingly against her folds.

"Go on."

 _That silky smooth voice. It was_ torture _. Then again, he_ was _Uchiha Itachi, master of Tsukuyomi._ "The build-up... it puts pressure on your ocular nerves."

"Hn?" She could feel him now, situated at her entrance. He must have been gyrating his hips, for the head of his cock would periodically rub against her clit, causing her to buck up towards him, the rawness of her desire totally overwhelming her senses. " _Tell me_ , Sakura, about… the _pressure_ …"

"That pressure - _oh please, Itachi! I can't concentrate when you're_... - it's what's causing you... to go _blind_ …"

Suddenly, the movement stopped, much to her frustration. "I see. So, if there was some way to prevent the build-up…"

"Hai. Then, the damage would be avoided."

"Ah. Now _that_ is interesting." She felt Itachi's hands on her hips, angling her towards him. _Oh, Kami, yes._ Please _let it be interesting… enough._ "Sakura. Open your eyes."

Pink lashes sprung open at his command, and she took in his broad shoulders, proud face, and blazing eyes, the swirling tomoe drawing her gaze irresistibly to him as he leant over her. He was watching her face intently, his delight at her overwhelming need reflected in the hungry glow of his activated Sharingan and the vaguely predatory smirk on his lips. Their eyes met, and then, at long last, with one smooth motion of his hips, he granted her wish, the sensation of _him_ causing her to cry out in sheer ecstasy.

For a time, he held himself still, fully sheathed within her, giving her time to adjust to the sensation of being filled. And just when she could no longer stand _that_ , when her hips had begun to move against his in an attempt to spur him to motion, when her mews had reached a fevered pitch, begging him to put her out of her misery, he acquiesced once again, setting a breathtaking pace that confirmed utterly and completely that, despite all his teasing, she had not been alone in her neediness.

Already close to her peak from the combination of her anticipation and Itachi's earlier ministrations, Sakura could do little more than writhe beneath him, grasping hard at the sheets, as he drew moan after lustful moan from her parted lips. His hands, remaining firmly planted on her bare hips, kept her in place as he filled her again and again and _again_ , and her own rose up to join them in a fervent desire to draw him closer, take him deeper. Then, with a particularly deep thrust, he hit an exquisitely sensitive spot, and she found herself shrieking, urging him to keep going, to never stop, to _please_ let her come for she needed it - needed _him_ \- so, so much. And, for one, last time, he granted her wish, driving her to her release, her heart pounding, chest heaving, and eyes squeezing shut from the intensity of the almost painful pleasure that was her orgasm.

As she came off of her high, body limp and coated in a thin sheen of sweat, Itachi reached his own climax, releasing a strangled cry into the dimly lit room, his hips jerking wildly into hers as they abandoned their rhythmic pace. And then, gasping from the effort, he withdrew, falling to her side on the mattress and pulling her in close, the warmth of his chest and return of his beating heart to normalcy quickly lulling her to a deep, dreamless sleep.


	22. The Weasel's Final Mission

_[AN: Next chapter! I've admittedly slowed down posting a bit... the chapters have gotten much more intense to write (hopefully for the better?). This one was a bit of an emotionally tough slog. As always, thank you so much for the comments, favorites, and follows! Please note that this story is rated M, and I can claim no ownership of Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 22: The Weasel's Final Mission**

Itachi lay on his back in the darkness of Sakura's little apartment, listening to her gentle breathing as she slept by his side. Likely exhausted from the combination of her multi-hour work on his eyes and their subsequent lovemaking, she'd fallen asleep in minutes, leaving him alone to his thoughts, which, somewhat ironically, were fixated upon her.

He'd admittedly been skeptical of Jiraiya's choice when the man had first suggested kidnapping Sasuke's little pink-haired teammate several months ago now. Itachi had known then that she was utterly besotted with his brother, had served as the legendary Senju Tsunade's apprentice for almost five years, and had taken down Akasuna no Sasori, no easy feat. While the last two points suggested that she was a capable enough kunoichi on the battlefield and the first spoke of her loyalty to his _otouto_ , he'd still had certain doubts regarding her fortitude for all that he intended. _Ah, how his perspective had evolved, even since their time together on Toki._ For, while under her steady care over the past six days, he'd come to find that she possessed a certain, quiet strength that granted her an admirable degree of mental toughness. Though she was unacquainted with the degree of loneliness to which he had cursed Sasuke, her road hadn't been simple, either. Undervalued and trivialized as "the weak link," repeatedly spurned by his rather foolish little brother, and abandoned, in two cases intentionally _(although, it was hard to fully know what Kakashi had been thinking…_ if _he'd been thinking)_ and in the third unwittingly, by the genin team to which she'd become devoted, life had not been kind, and she was stronger for it. Yes, he saw now that she was no delicate flower, despite what her name and looks had initially led him to believe. Jiraiya's recommendation had _far_ exceeded his expectations… he would be leaving Sasuke in stunningly reliable hands.

Itachi found his lids growing heavy, the soft sound of his companion's slow, steady breath lulling him into a lazy, laconic state. It was late now, likely past midnight. After all, Sakura had spent a good three hours on her examination, and that was before he'd coaxed her into joining him in bed. Leaning to his right, he gave the sleeping woman's forehead a gentle kiss as the memory of their latest coupling sent a warm pang of affection through his chest. Then, allowing a satisfied exhaustion to wash over him, he settled into his pillow, eyes shutting out the moonlit room. _He'd had no business claiming her for himself, but he couldn't deny the pleasure of the mistake. Now, if only the simple, contented existence into which he'd somehow stumbled could continue on like this forever..._

But, of course, that was not to be. For just as he was about to drift off into the world of slumber, Itachi's dark lashes shot open, a prickle of an unfamiliar sensation - _fear_ \- tearing straight through to his soul. The summons that he'd had watching over his brother had set off a flare, an alert that the situation in Oto had shifted. _Orochimaru must have grown nervous about Sasuke's increasing power. It appeared that his reunion with his otouto was drawing closer than he'd anticipated._

Itachi's first instinct was to wake Sakura, a painful ache stirring in his stomach at the realization that this was very likely the last peaceful night he would ever be spending by her side. Glancing back over at her sweet face, full, pink lips slightly parted and soft hair splayed across her pillow, however, he immediately thought better of it. _No, it would do no good to alarm her any sooner than was absolutely necessary._ While he didn't fully know _what_ had tipped his summons off, the intelligence he'd gleaned suggested that they had at least a day before Sasuke would truly be in peril. He would tell her in the morning, permitting her one more night of unburdened sleep. _It was really the least he could do._

And so, the following morning, Itachi roused the sleeping kunoichi far earlier than he wished, his heart heavy despite the warm glow of the sunlight streaming in through her gauzy curtains. That night, he'd slept fitfully, waiting for the morning to come, wondering about the fate of his brother (he trusted his summons, but the Sannin was sly, and the crow could certainly be deceived), and considering how to best break the news to his current companion. For Sakura was as emotionally effusive as she was strong, and he was aware from the words they'd shared over the course of the last week and the nervous looks she'd given him when she'd thought his mind elsewhere that a large part of her had come to dread this day.

Responding to his gentle kiss, Sakura awoke slowly, pink lashes fluttering to reveal brilliant emerald and that soft smile he'd come to adore drifting sleepily across her full lips. "Mm… good morning, Itachi-san," she murmured sweetly, "Did you sleep well?" She yawned and stretched like a cat, her little, womanly body pressing gently against him, unknowingly urging him to forget his troubles, abandon Sasuke, and lose himself in her.

 _Ah, the temptation. But, no, that was an impossibility… his mind... his_ conscience _wouldn't let him._ "Sakura," he found himself saying, his lips moving almost outside of his control, "I have received... _news_ of Sasuke _._ It is imperative that we speak with Tsunade. As soon as possible."

He watched, the heart that he hadn't realized until recently still had the capacity to care beating painfully in his chest, as the woman's face ran through a series of emotions... disbelief… anger… sorrow… nervousness… and then, finally, to his great relief, _resolve_. "Hai, Itachi. I'll fetch _Shishou_ straight away. I'll let her know it's urgent. That it's Sasuke-kun." And with that, her body snapping into that familiar, tense posture he recognized far too well from a lifetime of life-or-death missions of his own, Sakura set to action, throwing on on her clothing and flying out of the apartment with the promise that she'd be back as soon as she could.

* * *

 _Today was the day_. After over five years of hoping, fearing, praying, and wishing, assuming that all went well (which was, admittedly a big assumption), Sasuke would be returning to the village, just as she'd dreamed. _But, oh, the sacrifice being made to reclaim him._

After being roused by Itachi, Sakura had immediately darted off to Tsunade's office, her mind racing and the fight-or-flight instinct that all shinobi depended on for that extra spurt of energy immediately kicking into high gear. As she'd entered the room, her mentor had scowled at being disturbed "so damn early, Sakura! Always so early!" One look at the kunoichi's face, however, had quieted the woman, the severity of her expression communicating her urgency far more efficiently than words ever could. Setting a quick silencing jutsu in place to protect against any unwelcome eavesdroppers outside her door, the Hokage had demanded a quick explanation and then immediately began assembling mission scrolls for Kakashi and Yamato to be delivered by a pair of Sakura's crows. It was the first time that Sakura had used the summons in front of anyone except Itachi, and she'd flushed slightly at the overt shock on Tsunade's face at the appearance of Mikoto and Kai, aware that the Uchiha's gift was a powerful statement of the intimate nature of their relationship. But there was no time to dwell on such pleasant thoughts. For, as soon as the crows were assigned their respective missions, Tsunade was urging Sakura to return home, to Itachi, with the command that they should anticipate the arrival of the rest of their squad in short order.

Sakura currently stood in the center of her little apartment, Itachi to her left and Kakashi to her right, with Yamato on Kakashi's right, Tsunade seated before them, and Sakura's undersized kitchen table playing the role of her _Shishou's_ comparatively grand Hokage desk. Despite the homey setting, the tension in the air was palpable, and the kunoichi could feel her heart racing in her chest. They'd already finished filling in Yamato about Itachi's circumstances and their overall purpose. Fortunately, Kakashi had arrived early for the first time in as long as she could remember and had managed to intercept the wood user at the door, which helped to dissipate _some_ of the shock that would have otherwise manifested at the discovery of Konoha's arguably most famous missing-nin in Sakura's apartment. While Yamato had still seemed somewhat wary upon entering the apartment, he'd nodded civilly, even throwing in a "long time no see, Uchiha-san" that had rather warmed Sakura's heart.

Tsunade cracked her knuckles, expression stony and eyes fixed on the quartet of shinobi before her. "Now, then... to dig more into the mission. As you already know, your assignment is the detainment and retrieval of Uchiha Sasuke. Per intelligence reports," she inclined her head towards Itachi, "We understand that the target is currently in grave danger in Oto. Orochimaru may move to take possession of his body within the next twenty-four hours, and it is imperative for the brat's sake _and_ the security of Konoha that we do not let that happen." She paused, honey eyes steely despite her former camaraderie with the Snake Sannin, and then directed her attention to the silver-haired jounin. "Kakashi, I am assigning _you_ to serve as team leader. As the senior-ranking shinobi on this squad, a one-time teammate to all others members, and the former sensei of the target, you know the skills and abilities at your disposal best. That being said, I expect you to work _closely_ with Uchiha-san for the first half of this mission. For, while I have appointed you captain, this assignment is ultimately his to execute. Agreed?" Her amber eyes glinted menacingly, a stark reminder that she too was one of the legendary Sannin, despite her outwardly youthful appearance.

For a moment, an uncomfortable silence hovered over the room. Then, Kakashi bowed his head in acceptance. "Hai, Tsunade-sama." Out of her periphery, Sakura noticed Itachi nod his head once as well, and a bit of the unease in her heart melted away. While she didn't fully understand _what_ had gone on between her former sensei and Itachi that fateful morning the Copy Ninja stumbled upon them in her apartment, the tension was impossible to miss every time they'd been together since, their mutual renown for keeping clear heads and straight faces whatever their circumstances be damned. They might be consummate professionals, but she'd heard enough whispered tales of just how easy it was for high-stress missions to bring out the worst in shinobi, even at the ANBU level, that she'd been a bit wary about serving on a team with both of them given their obvious enmity. Yes, her mentor's reminder to play nice was _definitely_ welcome.

Based on her S _hishou's_ nod, it appeared that the woman was on a similar wavelength. "Good. This is very likely an S-rank mission, and, as such, I expect you _all_ to tread extremely carefully. _Whatever happens_ , You are to follow orders, stick to the assignment, and remember that you are _first and foremost_ Konoha shinobi." As Tsunade paused to survey the squad before her once more, Sakura was extremely aware that, this time, the woman's eyes remained longest on her. It felt a _bit_ unfair. She might be a bit hot-headed at times, but she'd always comported herself professionally when it really mattered. Then again, she was definitely the least experienced member of the group - the only non-ANBU, actually - and she couldn't deny the conflicted emotions roiling through her insides. Wishing to demonstrate her resolve, she returned the woman's intimidating gaze evenly, fighting to keep the milieu of emotions coursing through her body off of her face. _Her first S-rank mission! But oh, what a mission it was..._

"I leave the rest of the details to you two, Kakashi and Itachi. While I would usually advise you to leave after dark given Uchiha-san's infamy, you have my consent to choose otherwise given the preciousness of time and your… _unique_ set of skills. As long as no citizens come to harm, that is."

At that, Itachi smirked. "Not to worry, Tsunade-sama. I have my methods."

"Hmph, I _did_ assume as much. Well, then, consider yourselves dismissed." With a final, rather sympathetic (at least for Tsunade) look at her, the Godaime shunshinned from the room, and Sakura felt her heart leap into her throat, overwhelmed by the realization that _this_ was truly happening.

* * *

Navigating one's way out of Konoha in broad daylight as a highly recognizable missing nin was no easy feat. Fortunately, Uchiha Itachi was in no way, shape, or form an ordinary shinobi. Not to _brag_ , but he was fairly certain he was capable of fooling even the Byakugan, at least for a long enough period of time to make a relatively leisurely getaway. To that end, casting the most powerful henge he could muster, cloaking himself in layer upon layer of genjutsu, completely suppressing his chakra signature, and taking to the rooftops, Itachi successfully passed through the village to the forest just on the outskirts of Konoha where he'd agreed to meet the rest of his team. While he still wore the same dark pants, grey undershirt, and scratched hitai-ate in which he'd arrived at Sakura's apartment the previous week, he'd left off the robe that loudly proclaimed his Akatsuki allegiance. He'd, of course, need to change his attire as they neared Oto in order to keep up appearances for his brother, but for the time being he relished the opportunity to travel free and unburdened of the heavy fabric and all it represented.

He was joined after about a half-hour of waiting by Sakura, Hatake, and the man he once knew as Tenzo, whom Sakura had referred to back in her apartment as Yamato-san. As they approached, Kakashi gave him a wordless nod, grey eye grim, and he returned the gesture in a silent agreement that they would discuss the logistics once they were further from Konoha. For both men were highly aware that Danzo's eyes and ears were seemingly everywhere. And so, without further ado, they took to the treetops, headed towards Sound. Taking the lead, Kakashi set a moderately fast pace, followed by Sakura, himself, and Yamato at the rear, his dark, flat eyes locked steadily on Itachi's back. For it was clear that Tsunade didn't _entirely_ trust him (which was fair; his situation was decidedly _complicated_ , after all, even with Jiraiya vouching for him) and had included the wood user in part as another loyal, uncompromised set of eyes for their captain.

As they traveled, the sun creeping towards its midday peak, Itachi found himself growing somewhat nostalgic. While they had no time to lose and his upcoming confrontation with his former Akatsuki partner and his brother would require absolute focus, discipline, and commitment to his role, they had hours of travel ahead of them. And so, Itachi found his mind wandering his past to arguably simpler times, before ANBU, before discovering the truth about his clan, before the massacre that had forever blackened his life. The identity of the Hokage who briefed him that morning had changed, and many of his onetime teammates were long gone, yet there had been an eerie sense of _deja vu_ to the proceedings. The familiar language and structure of Tsunade's mission assignment; the formality and order as the squad stood in a row, all eyes locked on the mission scroll in a burning desire to know its contents; the mixture of emotions of departing Konoha for the great unknown; the heady sensation of leaping from tree to tree, forever alert to one's surroundings… it all brought him rather chillingly back a decade.

At midday, they stopped for a break and Itachi's medical check-in with Sakura. Prior to departing Konoha that morning, the kunoichi had performed a quick scan of his body and deemed him stable and well enough to travel. _Not that they really_ had _a choice_ , he had thought rather darkly at the time. Nevertheless, she still insisted on looking him over now to confirm that there were no flare-ups.

In truth, it was utterly unnecessary. Having lived with his illness for years, Itachi didn't need a medic to tell him how he was faring, and Sakura and Tsunade had healed him enough that one day of travel at a chunin-level pace was a trivial matter. Yet, he found himself humoring the woman, sliding down to the ground with his back up against a thick tree trunk and baring his chest for her examination. For it was exceedingly clear that these last few check-ups weren't about him or his lungs, but were rather an excuse - an exceedingly pleasant one, if the utter truth be told - for her to spend a little more time by his side and demonstrate one more time in the only way she could that she genuinely cared.

Sakura squatted down beside him, her expression grim, and her eyes laser focused, indicating that she was very much in mission mode. _A good thing too, for he rather feared the emotions she could otherwise awaken._ Her small, delicate hands moved to hover over his chest, and Itachi found his eyes drawn to them as the green energy of her chakra glowed outwards, the familiar warmth penetrating his body in more ways than one. They sat in silence for several minutes, and he watched her face intently, re-memorizing her features. Then, she licked her lips and leaned back slightly on her heels. "Everything seems normal, Itachi-san," she observed softly, looking up from her work to meet his gaze, those captivating emerald-green eyes soft and sad despite the fact that this was extremely good news.

Aware that he had no business succumbing to emotions, he gave her an even nod. "Hn. That shouldn't come as a surprise. You and Tsunade-sama did an extremely thorough job on me over the past week," he observed, keeping his voice low in deference to the fact that this somewhat intimate moment in fact had an audience of two. "I am in your debt, Sakura-san."

The corners of her plush lips quirked upwards slightly in an attempt at a smile, the color of her eyes growing increasingly vibrant under the magnification of unshed tears. _Ah, how he wished to pull her in close, to ravish those full lips in a continuation of last night's pleasure, to distract them both, even for a few minutes, from what was to come._ But no, with the uncertainty of his brother's fate hovering over him and under the watchful, envious eye of Hatake, he didn't dare. Besides, they had several hours of travel yet to go. _There would be time for final farewells... later._

Indeed, the Copy Ninja appeared to be keeping close watch despite his outward interest in the little orange book he was "reading." _Tch, nice try, senpai… he was fooling no one._ For, as soon as Sakura drew back her hands, the man met Itachi's eyes over the top of the novel and drawled in a deceptively laconic, low voice that might throw of Sakura but certainly wasn't going to work on _him_ , "Mah, since _that's_ settled, shall we discuss our strategy, then?"

* * *

Kakashi did his best to quell the jealous beast roiling through his insides as he watched _them_ from the base of the large oak tree under which he'd settled, but it was no use. Sakura-chan, _his_ _Sakura-chan_ , was utterly smitten with the Uchiha, and it was a decidedly exquisite form of emotional torture. He'd known about the depth of their relationship for days now, long enough that he _should_ have come to terms with it, but the awareness was somehow no less unpleasant than that first shocking morning he'd witnessed them in bed together. As her hands hovered over the man's bare chest, he found a sick part of himself wishing that it could be _him_ in the Uchiha's place, that he was the one on the receiving end of that soft, sweet smile that he knew was etched on her face. His rational mind told him that he had utterly no business desiring this - Itachi's situation was _nothing_ to envy, he was her _sensei_ (not to mention well over a decade her senior), and she'd need his support as a mentor in the days and weeks to come - but he couldn't _help_ it. Call him a pervert, but, over the past few months, he'd grown increasingly aware of the fact that Sakura was no longer a little girl. And seeing her with another, a far too handsome, far too deadly, far too temporary other, had apparently kicked that deep-seated knowledge into overdrive, spurring a latent lust that had been lurking in the back of his mind straight to the forefront.

At his suggestion of working out logistics, the Uchiha nodded once in agreement, and Sakura shifted to the man's left, taking his pale hand in hers as her back came to rest against the tree trunk behind them. Sparing a quick glance at the kunoichi's face, the Copy Ninja noticed, with more frustration than he cared to admit, the tears in her eyes and her flushed cheeks, his mind hatefully telling him that she'd suffered enough, that the Uchiha was an utter bastard for putting her through this new torture, and, perversely, that it was in some ways a very good thing indeed that Itachi would be meeting his end in short order, for Kakashi wasn't actually sure how much longer he could stand _this_. Because, far more troubling than his own jealousy, the pain that Sakura was so obviously going through stood in harsh contrast with the Uchiha's cool demeanor in a manner that Kakashi found himself unable to fully ignore. He recognized that the rogue nin's lack of concern for her was _possibly_ a mask. Ever the consummate shinobi, the Uchiha was well-accustomed to keeping his emotions in check from his youth and had likely only improved on this skill in his years as a double agent. Nevertheless, the possibility that it _wasn't_ , that he was simply seducing Sakura into assisting him and could care less about something as trivial as her heart, was a suspicion that the Copy Ninja couldn't quite shake off.

A murmured " _senpai?,"_ from the forgotten Yamato brought Kakashi to the realization that three sets of eyes were locked on him expectantly. _Right. The mission._ If this all worked out as the Uchiha intended, he dearly hoped that Sasuke turned out to be less of a headache than his brother, particularly when it came to Sakura's sake. _Which was probably asking_ a lot, _given their history..._

Setting down _Icha Icha Paradise_ , he scratched the back of his head, attempting to clear the uncharacteristic maelstrom of emotions from his mind and focus on the present. "Ah, yes, sorry about that. The midday sunlight through the leaves truly is a vision, neh?" _What poetry_ _._ "Now then, Uchiha-san. I suppose you may already have a strategy in mind?"

"Hai, _Taichou_." _Kami, was it strange to hear Uchiha Itachi call him_ that _again_. "If we keep our current pace, we'll reach Oto by dusk. At that point, I'll shift into the solo portion of the assignment, entering the snake's den _alone_." To his left, Sakura shifted slightly in evident displeasure, and Kakashi felt his brow furrow as the man failed to spare her even the barest of glances, voice steady as ever. "Sasuke cannot know of your presence until _after_ , Sakura," the Uchiha chided rather didactically. "As I'm certain you realize, if you or any other members of our squad were to accompany me, it will arouse his suspicions that I am something other than the loyal Akatsuki member he believes me to be."

Sakura looked away in evident frustration, chewing her lower lip. _So, some of Naruto's hero complex had rubbed off on her, after all. A pity that it was so…_ misdirected _in this case._ Eye drifting back from the woman's pained expression, Kakashi nodded in agreement, attempting to keep his focus firmly on Itachi and their overall goal despite his personal distaste for how the situation was unfolding. "Understood. So, assuming all goes well, you'll enter Orochimaru's lair, take out the Sannin, and then face Sasuke. I can have some of my ninken keep -"

"Tch, too risky," Itachi interrupted with a slight frown that had Kakashi internally bristling. _Mah, and there went the Uchiha, taking over as usual._ "If Sasuke picks up on their presence, it will be an obvious giveaway. Sakura can use one of her summons to keep tabs on the situation; he'll be less familiar with her methods."

 _Wait, what was this about_ Sakura _having a summons?_ Now, Kakashi had admittedly never been _the best_ about keeping tabs on his students' developments. Contrary to popular belief, he _cared_ … he just tended to favor more of a "hands-off" approach and didn't really see their day-to-day training highs and lows as any of his business. _But, surely, he hadn't completely missed her signing with Katsuyu? That was a pretty big deal, after all, at least when it came to shinobi milestones. Fuck. He really should have… taken her out for celebratory ramen or something. Or tempura; ramen was really Naruto's thing, after all._ His right eyebrow shot up towards his hitai-ate in surprise, eye drifting from the Uchiha's steady gaze to the sudden flush that had appeared on the kunoichi's face. "I was _unaware_ that Sakura-chan had signed a summoning contract."

"Crows," the Uchiha replied by means of an explanation, and Kakashi felt his stomach tighten as another wave of jealousy washed over him. _Oh. Of course, it was crows. It figured. The Uchiha really had worked fast when it came to making his lasting mark on_ his _favorite student._ "Mikoto will be able to alert you once my… _reunion_ with my _otouto_ has concluded." His dark eyes shifted from Kakashi's face to Sakura's. "It is then that you'll step in, confronting Sasuke before anyone else can intercept him. And recovering my body."

Yamato spoke then, voicing the question that _would_ have been on Kakashi's mind if he hadn't been quite so infuriatingly distracted by the increasingly layered relationship unfolding immediately across from him. "Uchiha-san, do you _anticipate_ us facing competition for your _otouto's_ attentions following your confrontation?"

"It isn't outside the realm of possibility," Itachi replied, a shadow falling across his face as he turned his cool gaze on the wood user. "I have good reason to believe that I am not the only member of the Akatsuki who seeks to establish contact with Sasuke." He paused, eyes resting meaningfully on Kakashi, and the Copy Ninja nodded in recognition. _Of course, he was thinking of the man he'd mentioned that morning back in Sakura's apartment... the one who called himself Madara._ "Following the conflict, he will likely be in a physically and emotionally weakened state and, therefore, easy prey to manipulation. It is for this reason that you must swiftly intercede upon the news of my death."

At the bold-faced reminder that this was a suicide mission ( _for Uchiha Itachi had never minced words when it came to obligations and duties)_ , a heavy silence fell over the quartet. Then, Sakura spoke, her voice all at once tentative yet committed as it cut through the silence. "Well, everything seems to be in order, then. Should we get a move on?"

 _Mah, his favorite student had really turned into something special._

* * *

They made good time and reached the border of Oto as the shadows stretched and dusk approached, their chakra signatures masked and several layers of genjutsu covering their tracks. Over the course of the afternoon, Sakura had opted to stay close by Itachi's side, evidently aware that they were entering the last few hours of their time together. The sorrow in her eyes was exquisitely painful, yet, her resolve was clear. She may have previously questioned the necessity of his sacrifice, but it appeared that she had finally accepted the inevitability of his fate. There was no longer a shred of doubt in his mind: He could trust her to keep up her end of the bargain... as long as he could execute _his_.

They passed over a little copse of particularly dense underbrush, and Kakashi gave a subtle signal before dropping down to the ground, leading them to a stop. There was a foul smell on the air, the scent of marshy decay from a nearby swamp permeating the landscape. _The smell of death… it was most fitting._

After confirming that they had no audience, Kakashi laid down several layers of misdirection jutsus and traps to further disguise their presence, while Sakura set about summoning Mikoto, the crow that would be tasked with keeping watch over the coming confrontation. Then, all arrangements completed, Itachi's three companions turned their attention to him, Yamato's face grim and expressionless, Kakashi's visible eye dark with a rather intriguing mixture of emotions that Itachi had neither the time nor luxury to unpack, and Sakura trembling as she fought in vain to suppress the despair rolling off of her in waves.

To his credit, Kakashi seemed alert to his former student's sorrow. A concerned eye roving over the kunoichi's face, he turned his attention to Itachi, sighed heavily, and murmured, "Yamato-san and I will give you a few minutes of privacy, Sakura-chan, Uchiha-san."

Itachi nodded once in wordless gratitude, taking Sakura's right hand in his left one and swiftly leading her away from the duo, his mind racing as he considered what he could possibly say to ease her pain and let her know how fully he appreciated everything she had given him. _Nothing… probably. But he would try. He owed her that much._

They traveled through the dense underbrush for several minutes, footsteps silenced by jutsu. Then, once Itachi was confident that they were far enough away that their voices wouldn't carry back to their teammates but close enough to stay within the radius of Kakashi's layered barrier (for he anticipated needing every bit of own chakra in the battles to come), he turned to face Sakura, taking in her downcast gaze and heavy shoulders. Breath bated, his fingertips slowly traced their way up her right arm to her chin, raising her face towards his own as he drew her in close for a kiss, his lips softly caressing hers in an attempt to soothe the ache. Slowly, her body responded, slender arms gradually winding their way to his shoulders in an open display of affection that sent his heart pounding in his chest. _Sasuke was a lucky man indeed… he only hoped he would realize it._

Regretfully, Itachi drew back after several moments, aware that it would not do to draw out their parting for too long despite his body's desire for far more than a simple kiss. For they _were_ in enemy territory, and Orochimaru was no fool. Let down their guard or delay the inevitable for too long, and their plan for recovering Sasuke would too soon be discovered. _And, of course, there was no need to take_ excessive _advantage of Hatake's kindness._

Pink lashes fluttered open, and Sakura's green eyes were upon him, stirring with passion as they commanded his attention. "Oh, Itachi… I wish it didn't have to be this way…" she murmured, her fingers grasping at the back of his shirt, as if hoping to hang onto him a bit longer.

Itachi stared back resolutely, steeling himself against the seductive urge to whisk her away for a lifetime on the run. For attractive as that might be on some, carnal level, it was a foolish impossibility that would negate everything he'd worked for, every sacrifice he'd made. Instead, he drew back, giving her a soft smile. "Nor do I. But this is how it must be. There is no more I can offer you, Sakura-san." Then, straightening his shoulders and setting back in place the emotionless mask he was so accustomed to wearing, he added, "I leave Sasuke in your capable hands."

Green eyes filled with tears, yet they remained unspilled as she gazed back at him. "Hai, Itachi-san. _Arigato_."

One more searing kiss, and they wordlessly returned to their teammates, Sakura's hot little hand clenched in his own and his mind racing with thoughts of the kunoichi, his brother, and the hours that lay ahead for him. Kakashi and Yamato greeted them with silent nods, and Itachi found his gaze lingering on the Copy Ninja in a wordless request to keep a careful eye on Sakura in the coming days and weeks. _Kami knew she would need all the support she could get._ Then, donning his Akatsuki robe and the callous mental mask that accompanied it, he swiftly left the trio behind, bound for the foreboding entrance to Orochimaru's lair.


	23. The Brothers Uchiha

_[AN: This was one of those chapters that I was pretty nervous about writing, truth be told. I find fight scenes tricky to pull off, and there was a lot of emotion that I wanted to capture. If you feel like sparing a moment to comment, I'd be very interested to hear what you think (and thank you kindly in advance)! Also, I know I've gotten some mixed feedback about particular characters seeming "weak" and/or their actions un-shinobi-like. While I realize that shinobi are trained to let go of their emotions, they're also still human beings. As such, to my mind, try as they might, they'll never be able to behave entirely like perfect, militaristic automatons, particularly in the face of unexpected woe. Some have mastered the art of coping better than others (for better or for worse), but, at the end of the day, no one is able to completely suppress the feelings that make them men and women (well... maybe Foundation-era Sai...). Anyway, that's enough of listening to me talk! As usual, this story is rated M, and I have no claim whatsoever over Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 23: The Brothers Uchiha**

 _Thunk._

 _Thunk._

 _Thunk._

Sasuke listened to the steady sound of shuriken after shuriken meeting its target, the noise of the impact steady as a heartbeat. Since Anzu's death, he had sought solace more than ever before in the welcome repetition of _Shurikenjutsu_ training. Left almost completely to his own devices now that the kunoichi was no more and his master's health was failing, he'd soon lost track of the days in the sheer monotony of it all. Had it been a week since that fatal spar? Ten days? Two weeks? Three? Confined to Orochimaru's underground lair, it was hard to say for sure.

What was certain was that he didn't _miss_ her. Certainly, on a carnal level, he missed Anzu's body - or, more specifically, the _pleasure_ that her body granted him - but he didn't care in the least about her absence from his life as a companion. For, in truth, beyond the lust-filled moans and animalistic grunts that had accompanied their fucking, they'd barely said a word to one another in the months that she'd lived with him, and he'd long ago grown used to the solitude of Oto. Instead, he was angry, bitter, and frustrated at how fully he had been taken in. For, through Anzu, Orochimaru had revealed himself to be even craftier than Sasuke had anticipated. He might be near death, but the woman was a firm reminder that the Sannin remained a deadly, driven adversary whose motives and methods were often cloaked in layers of deceit. _He could ill afford to make any further mistakes if he wished to retain his body._

All that being said, he was _ready_. Ready to take revenge on the rogue Sannin for his five years of maltreatment. Ready to break out of the underground prison that was the man's lair. Ready, at long last, to face his hated brother and make him pay for the destruction of their clan.

Across the training room, the creak of the heavy, wooden door stirred Sasuke out of his murderous reverie. About to spring into the air for another round of target practice, the Uchiha instead turned his activated eyes towards Kabuto's familiar figure, noticing the small smirk on the man's spiteful, round face. Today, in addition to his usual high-collared lavender vest and pants, he was clad in a grey traveler's cloak and carrying a pack, suggesting that he had business above ground. "Going somewhere?" Sasuke asked the man by means of a greeting, coolly watching his face for any sign of nervousness or treachery.

The silver-haired man eyed him rather curiously for a moment, glasses glinting ominously in the candlelight. Then, he licked his thin lips, adopting that fake, simpering tone he too-often fell into. "Orochimaru-sama has need of some medical herbs that bloom only at night. I'll be back tomorrow around sunrise. By the way, he would like to _see_ you, Sasuke-kun."

 _Hn… this all boded_ well _. It appeared to be the very opportunity that he'd been waiting for. Was it was too good to be true?_ Sasuke inclined his head ever so slightly at the medic, not wishing to arouse the man's suspicions. While he knew that Kabuto was just as slippery as his master at heart, the man had been nothing but outwardly faithful to the Sannin for longer than Sasuke had been in Oto, and his true motives for sticking around so loyally for such a long time remained a mystery. Turning his attention back to his practice, he feigned disinterest, launching himself in the air for another round. Vaguely aware upon landing that the medic was still waiting in the frame of the open door, he shot the man a full-borne glare of dislike. "Tch. Once I'm finished here," he snarled. For, while he suspected that this could very well be another set-up, Sasuke wasn't going to just walk away from an opportunity to face a weakened Orochimaru alone. _A_ _t his current level and with his eyes, he should be able to protect himself against most threats, as long as he kept his wits about him. After all, he'd survived the unexpected engagement with Anzu, hadn't he now?_

Kabuto seemed to have enough sense to realize that his presence was extremely unwelcome. He gave Sasuke one more rather searching look and then smiled fakely, bottom lip curling in distaste. "As you wish, Sasuke- _kun_ ," he spat rather mockingly. "But I'd be wary of tarrying too long if I were you. Orochimaru-sama is in no mood for _games_ today."

With that, the heavy door swung shut, and Sasuke listened carefully as the medic's footsteps faded down the hall, in the direction of the exit. _Twenty minutes. He'd give Kabuto twenty minutes to get on his way, and_ then, _at long last, it would be time to take the next step on his path to revenge._

* * *

Itachi's heart was heavy but his head clear as he slowly wound his way through the somewhat claustrophobic underground passages of the rogue Sannin's lair. As he departed his squad's company, Sakura's crow trailing a safe distance behind him, he hadn't looked back. While he'd never been one for such hesitancy, considering it emotional weakness, the memory of starry green eyes looking up at him following their final kiss was one he was quite certain would be sticking with him beyond the grave. _But it was time to set those thoughts aside now, heady as they were._ For Orochimaru and Sasuke awaited him, and there was no time for idle thought.

With his Sharingan activated, the Uchiha had little trouble making his way through the labyrinth. The path was littered with traps, genjutsu, and other illusions, but, with his Kekkei Genkai, the Snake's attempts at deception were glaringly obvious bits of child's play. The route down had started out steep and winding, but after ten or so minutes of travel, it had flattened out, indicating that he was drawing close to his goal. He was somewhat surprised by how deserted the hideout felt. While not a sensory ninja by nature, he'd learned enough over his lifetime on the run, and the lair seemed _exceedingly_ lightly staffed. _Perhaps Orochimaru feared keeping those outside of his inner circle close when in a weakened state?_ While Itachi didn't know exactly how hobbled the man would be by his failing host body, he suspected that the effects were likely profound.

At last, he appeared to have come to the heart of the hideout, for the flickering candles mounted on the walls were suddenly more regularly spaced, and he had begun to pass by a succession of heavy wooden doors, all firmly shut with no noticeable signs of life behind them. Focusing hard, Itachi concentrated on the memory of his brother's chakra signature, a sudden warmth of relief flooding his awareness a minute or two later at the twin revelations that he could sense Sasuke's presence and that he appeared to be quite close by. His pace quickened as he passed by three more doors and came to a stop at the fourth, almost certain that this was it. The hall was silent as ever, but he could sense his brother's steady presence beyond, blessedly unharmed and whole, and, with him, that of another… a cold, foul chakra that Itachi recognized from their days as Akatsuki partners as that of the Snake Sannin himself. Steeling himself for the uncertainty that lay beyond, Itachi breathed the musty air in deeply and slowly swung the heavy door open just enough to slip in, somewhat surprised to find it unlocked. _Then again, if Sasuke and Orochimaru truly were the only other beings within the fortress, it wasn't like there was any particular reason to lock up._

The room was moderate in size, dimly lit with the same mounted candles that stretched along the hallway. The light projected an eerie yellow glow on the stone walls and floor, the sparse furniture - a simple wooden table, four matching chairs, a bed at the far end of the room - casting long shadows. The hair on the back of his neck prickling unpleasantly, Itachi found his eyes drawn to the bed, where his one-time partner lay, bandaged arms stretched out before him and waif-like body largely obscured by a dark blanket. Taking in the man's face, Itachi observed with cool detachment that his eyes were shut, his pale lips tightly clenched together, and his brow furrowed in evident pain. He'd been pale and rather bedraggled in appearance during their Akatsuki days, but the weak lighting highlighted the gauntness of his cheeks and his lank hair, turning him even more corpse-like than Itachi remembered. Indeed, were it not for the beads of sweat across his forehead, the labored breathing, and his personal knowledge of how difficult it was to _truly_ kill the Snake, Itachi would have thought him a dead man.

But, of course, Orochimaru was not alone. To the right of the bed, half-hidden by the shadows, stood a man who was all at once both intensely familiar and a complete stranger. _Hn, he'd grown tall in the intervening years._ Heart pounding strangely in his chest, Itachi's eyes drank in long, lean legs; a slender, still somewhat boyish waist; a muscular chest slightly broader than usual for their clan; and powerful arms, biceps and forearms sinewy from years of hard, physical training, all features painfully reminding him of their father. Yet, when it came to his face, their mother's presence was undeniable, etched in the fineness of his jawline, the surprising sensuousness of his lips, the straightness of his nose, the elegant tilt of his cheekbones, and, most of all, in those dark, intense eyes that somehow pierced through to the depths of Itachi's wretched soul, despite the layers of illusion keeping him, at least for the moment, undetected.

Sasuke shifted on his feet slightly, and the candlelight illuminated the left side of his neck, the curse mark that Itachi had learned of from Jiraiya stark on the pale expanse of skin. At the sight, he felt a wave of revulsion pulse through his body. Of course, having his _otouto_ learn from the Snake had been his _intention_ following Sarutobi's death. Unable to mentor Sasuke himself, painfully aware that his brother remained perilously weak for one with a bloodline limit as coveted as the Sharingan, and not trusting that a Sandaime-less Konoha would look out for an Uchiha (for he highly doubted that Danzo had given up on his campaign to eliminate Sasuke), Orochimaru, with his knowledge, abilities, and Sharingan obsession, had been an obvious, albeit unconventional, choice. He had no doubt that Sasuke had learned much under the Sannin. The dark, powerful aura radiating off of his brother now more than hinted at this, and a decidedly twisted, yet fundamentally brotherly side of him looked forward to putting the man through his paces in short order. And, yet, seeing Sasuke - the little boy who had so happily called him _nii-san_ , begged to train with him, and showered him with sweet, brotherly affection - at the Snake's side, like some sort of branded _pet_ …. _Well, it was simply one more reason to relish Orochimaru's swiftly approaching end._

As if sensing his presence in Itachi's thoughts, Orochimaru's face suddenly turned directly towards him, long, vile tongue darting out of his mouth to slowly lick his pale, chapped lips. _Hn, as expected, some life remains in him, after all._ With a cold, hungry grimace of a smile, his golden snake-like eyes opened, voice raw and rasping yet full of undisguised amusement. "Well, well, I was wondering if we'd be seeing you today, Itachi- _kun_. But there's no need to be shy in the company of _old friends_. Why don't you come out and play with your _precious_ _little brother?_ "

 _Ah, he'd finally been discovered. Well, it had certainly taken the Snake long enough._

* * *

Sasuke had been standing silently by Orochimaru's side for several minutes, plotting his next move as he listened with more than a little satisfaction to the man's labored breathing. Upon arriving at the Sannin's bedroom, the Snake had greeted him with an utterly revolting "Ah, Sasuke-kun" that had had him darkly thrilled by the prospect that this might very well be the last time he would _ever_ have to listen to that much-too-long tongue wrap itself far too covetously around his name with an honorific that conjured up unwelcome visions of pink and green. For, as he'd entered, all of Orochimaru's vital signs practically screamed that his host body was at the bitter end of its tortured lifespan.

Despite his eagerness to be rid of the Snake once and for all, the knowledge send a chill up Sasuke's spine. There was _utterly_ no way that he would _ever_ be letting Orochimaru possess his body. He'd vowed that to himself before he'd even set out for Oto as an adolescent, and he was completely confident that he had all the tools necessary to fight his would-be master off. And yet, with the moment of his resistance now at hand, he found himself oddly wary. For the Sannin was one of the most feared shinobi in the world for a reason, and the smile that had crossed his face upon Sasuke's arrival, promising that "a little surprise is on its way, if you'll show some patience," had been decidedly unexpected, suggesting that something nefarious was, seemingly as always, afoot. He'd considered calling the man's bluff and taking the offensive immediately, but he suspected that this was exactly what Orochimaru was expecting. And so, Kusanagi remaining firmly strapped to his back and his eyes unactivated so as to not draw any alarms, he shut the door firmly behind him and crossed the room, heeding the man's beckoning right hand and joining him at his bedside.

As Orochimaru drifted into what appeared to be an unconscious state, Sasuke found himself growing impatient. _Five more minutes, and then he'd strike, surprise or not. It_ should _be simple… although was anything when it came to Orochimaru truly_ easy _? Tch, the man was defenseless. He'd use Chidori Eiso to inflict maximum damage. Now, was it his imagination, or had the door to the room opened a minute ago? No, it was firmly latched, just as he'd left it…_

 _Or not._ At the Snake's mention of his brother's name, Sasuke felt his heart leap into his throat, a familiar sensation of utter and complete loathing roiling through his body like liquid fire, eyes bleeding red on pure instinct. _Itachi was here… why? It wasn't_ time _yet._ He'd envisioned their reunion thousands of times over the past decade, but not once during any of those murderous reveries had his brother been the one to seek _him_ out. And certainly not while he remained hidden away in Oto, _before_ he'd put an end to Orochimaru. _No matter. He was ready. He_ had _to be. His clan's retribution depended on it._

Dropping the layers of genjutsu now that he'd been found out, Itachi appeared before the open door, eyes burning with his own Sharingan, scratched hitai-ate firmly in place, and Akatsuki robes billowing around his surprisingly slim frame in the utter embodiment of pure, undisguised _evil_. "Long time no see, _otouto_." At the sight and the sound of that spiteful, even voice, the coolness of his tone inflaming his hatred all the more, Sasuke found himself fighting hard against the irrational part of his mind screaming at him to rush his brother with _Chidori_. _N_ _o. He was no longer twelve and foolish. Before he killed him, he would show Itachi absolutely_ everything _that he had become._

Despite this resolve, however, there remained the rather vexing issue of Orochimaru, as the Snake was quick to remind them. While seemingly on his deathbed, a cackle of delight erupted from the man's mouth, gold eyes glinting maliciously as they darted between Sasuke and Itachi. "How _delightful_ , don't you think, Sasuke-kun? A reunion of teammates and of brothers. It's truly _a pity_ that only one man will be walking out of this room whole."

 _Tch, he'd never been one to stay shut up._ But Orochimaru could wait. For Itachi was his ultimate target, and there was simply no way that he could let this opportunity slip through his grasp. Eyes locked on the face of the man he had once admired above all others, Sasuke drew his _chokuto_ , channeling electricity through his blade. "It ends here, Itachi! I _will_ make your death a reality."

* * *

As the lightning that Itachi recognized far too well as _Chidori_ wound itself around his brother's form, he could feel the pure anger radiating off of the man. _When it came to jutsu, his otouto had clearly progressed… in impressive fashion, by the looks of it. But it appeared that his emotional maturity had further developments_ _to undergo. His eyes did as well, but Sasuke would earn his Mangekyo soon enough._ Of course, Orochimaru knew all this. The Sannin was as perceptive as he was cruel, after all, and his ability to read others had always been one of his greatest strengths. And Itachi was _certain_ that he intended to take full advantage of Sasuke's current emotions. But, of course, he wouldn't let him. His _otouto_ might loathe him, but he would protect him to the bitter end.

Genjutsu in place, Itachi darted out of the way of Sasuke's lightning spear attack, his false body dissolving into a flock of crows as the blade pierced its form. From his brother's lack of reaction, Itachi immediately gleaned that he'd seen through the illusion. _Hn, he may still lack the_ Mangekyo _, but Sasuke's eyes had become far more perceptive since their last confrontation._ Which meant, of course, that keeping his _otouto_ off-balance via simple genjutsu was no longer going to cut it. _No, despite his wish that it could be otherwise, it appeared that he too would have to strike Sasuke where he remained soft… at his heart._

As his brother approached to engage him in a taijutsu sequence, teeth bared in overt anger, Itachi responded in kind, evenly meeting each impassioned hit and kick with a steady block of his own, secretly thrilling at the knowledge that Sasuke had become every bit his equal, at least in this realm of this piece of the shinobi skillset. But outwardly, of course, there was no reaction, his face remaining perfectly composed and his eyes locked on his brother's form, carefully calculating his next move. Allowing himself a dark chuckle, Itachi moved to take out his brother's legs with a low kick, utterly unsurprised as Sasuke darted nimbly out of the way, regrouping into a defensive posture. "You've _grown_ , _otouto_ ," he observed coolly. "It's _truly_ a pity that you hide behind the faded glory of a Snake on his deathbed, crouching at his side like some sort of tamed pet. But why should that be so surprising? You're weak. You're always been _weak_. Always will be..."

Itachi's words hit their mark. Sasuke's handsome face contorted with rage, and he rushed back in to retake the offensive, the intensity of his anger giving his movement a certain sloppiness that most wouldn't notice as he fell far too quickly into the realm of emotional instability. His feelings weren't exactly _surprising_. After all, his _otouto_ had excellent reason to despise him and had been caught completely unaware by his arrival. That being said, Sasuke's inability to keep himself fully in control did raise a concern that Itachi hadn't anticipated. _If_ this _was how poorly his_ otouto _reacted to_ him _, how would he fare against the far more sophisticated emotional manipulations of the man who called himself Madara?_

Itachi dearly hoped that the rest of his Konoha squad would prevent the masked man from establishing contact with his brother tonight, but there was no question in his mind that the two would someday meet. Sasuke's eyes had too much potential to simply ignore, and the Akatsuki were always in the market for new recruits. By that point, Itachi hoped dearly that _someone_ in Konoha would be able to rectify this neglected, _vital_ portion of his brother's training. Yet, as Sasuke continued his taijutsu onslaught, he couldn't help but wonder _who_. For Hatake had proven himself utterly unreliable as a mentor the first time around, the Hokage herself had distinct anger management issues, and mental fortitude seemed to be the Achilles heel of Sakura and most of her peer group, at least as far as he had seen, which didn't speak very well of the current crop of jounin instructors. Jiraiya _might_ be able to assist, but Itachi had a hard time envisioning Sasuke's personality meshing with that of the Toad Sannin, and he suspected that the man's hands would be full for the foreseeable future with the _jinchuuriki_. As for others in the village… the Hyuuga traditionally had expertise with mindfulness, but the idea that they'd assist a Sharingan wielder was laughable. There were the Yamanaka and Nara clans, but given the vexing nature of clan insularity, that also seemed like a low probability. And Danzo, while skilled in wiping out _all_ emotionality from his proteges, was more apt to slaughter his _otouto_ than nurture his development. _Hn… annoying..._

But he didn't have the luxury of idle pondering about his brother's future much longer, for Sasuke, evidently through with taijutsu for the time being, was once against channeling _Chidori,_ the blood-chilling sound of a thousand birds reverberating through the cavern. "I am in no way _weak_ ," he roared from across the room, twisted face illuminated by the pale blue lightning. "Orochimaru means _nothing_ to me!"

 _Ah, an opening_. "Prove it, then," Itachi replied smoothly, avoiding his brother's latest attack through a quick substitution jutsu. "I am a patient man, Sasuke. Before we finish _our_ business, kill your master first. If you _can_ , that is." He threw in the last sentence mostly as a taunt, but there was a certain truth behind it. _Did Sasuke realize how difficult a task it truly was to kill this man?_ He suspected _not_ , but the attempt was sure to be interesting.

* * *

 _Itachi was playing him like a game of fucking shogi._ Sasuke was exceedingly aware that the mockery was all a part of his brother's master plan, an extension of his damnable genjutsu designed to twist his mind, throw him off, and rile him up. And yet, hard as he fought to clear his thoughts, to stay in the moment, and to ignore that smooth, deep voice that so easily wound its way under his skin, he _couldn't_. Orochimaru's mental tests and trials had prepared him for much, but apparently not _this_. He was faring slightly better than when he'd been twelve - at least now he could hold his own and wasn't driven completely wild with rage - but he was still frustratingly distracted by his emotions, and the fact that this was impacting his performance even the slightest bit enraged him all the more.

Awaiting Sasuke's response to his challenge, his brother slung himself into one of the wooden chairs across from the bed, legs stretched rather aristocratically out before him, left arm looped through his robe, and red eyes locked on Sasuke, Sharingan blazing. _Strange that the Mangekyo had yet to manifest… perhaps Itachi was saving his energy?_ _Tch, that was enough speculation about_ him _, though, at least for the moment._ For Sasuke had a critical decision to make. He was painfully aware that eliminating one of his two adversaries was going to be a demanding ordeal that would make confronting the second a far taller, much less likely to be successful order. He _might_ still pull the double killing off… but that was a big might, particularly given how spry Itachi had proven to be so far. So, the question became, if he could only go after one man tonight, Itachi or Orochimaru, which one would it be?

His heart screamed for him to focus on his brother. That this was his chance for the revenge of a lifetime, and he might not get another opportunity… _ever_. But Sasuke had long ago learned not to think with his heart - it was another one of the Snake Sannin's more painful lessons - which meant that he was inclined to follow his mind. And logic said that he would be an utter idiot to do anything other than take Orochimaru down when he was at his weakest. After all, the Snake's motives for harming him were urgent and obvious, while Itachi's decision to pay him a visit in Oto was a complete mystery. If he fought his brother and came out victorious but weakened, it would play perfectly into the Sannin's hands, leaving him an easy target. _Besides, Itachi_ had _challenged him to eliminate the man, and he couldn't deny that it would be extremely satisfying to pull off something his brother obviously believed him incapable of._

Decision made, Sasuke turned his deadly gaze upon the dark-haired man tucked in bed, utterly repulsed by the sight of his paper-thin skin, burning yellow eyes, and too-hungry grimace. _Tch, he would make him pay for ever daring to think that his body was free for the taking._ He gave Orochimaru a dangerous smirk, the arc of lightning he'd intended for his brother now destined for another target. _Yes, after five years of torture, he was going to_ enjoy _this moment. Would Chidori be enough, though? Well, there was only one way to find out…_

But it was not to be. Moments before Sasuke was about to release the bolt of electricity straight towards the Sannin's heart - _if, indeed, he had one at all_ \- Orochimaru _laughed_ , his eyes flickering with undisguised malaise towards the elder Uchiha. "So, this is the end, is it, Sasuke-kun? Tell me, Itachi, since I apparently won't live to see how this little death match between brothers plays out, do you intend to reveal to your _precious_ _otouto_ the truth about the Uchiha tonight?"

Sasuke paused, lightning continuing to flicker about him, eyes shifting from his new target to his brother. _What did the Snake mean by_ that _?_ To his great surprise, his brother's lip curled. It was only the smallest of frowns, and it vanished without a trace as suddenly as it had appeared, but with his Sharingan activated, he easily caught the motion. _Was that a tell? Were Orochimaru's words more than a last-ditch effort by a condemned man for some foothold?_

Ever attuned to the weaknesses of others, the Sannin raised himself more fully in bed, a knowing grin spreading over his evil face. "I'll take that as a _no_ , then. _Poor_ , deluded Sasuke-kun, spoon fed lies by a system of authority that feared he couldn't cope. And here, I thought you _cared_ about your _otouto_ , Itachi. Well, I suppose I'll do the honors; the boy is _my_ apprentice, after all."

At that, Itachi's jaw clenched, red eyes swirling into the dreaded Mangekyo Sharingan in what seemed to Sasuke a confirmation that the Snake's words had struck deep. Then, he tossed his head and fixed his gaze squarely upon Sasuke, too unexpectedly for him to look away. "Tch, pretty lies from a dead man. Ignore him, Sasuke; he seeks only to claim your body."

The room was swirling, the landscape shifting from the eerie glow of the cave to the too familiar red-and-black world of Itachi's genjutsu. _Damn it, he'd been ensnared… but why_ now _, after he'd clearly shifted his focus to eliminating Orochimaru? And, if this was in fact Tsukuyomi, why wasn't Itachi torturing_ _him yet? It didn't make any sense. Unless… this was meant as a simple distraction to keep him away from Orochimaru's influence. Hn, was Itachi_ hiding _something?_ Focusing all of his efforts on resisting his brother's will, Sasuke found the desolate plain of his nightmares gradually retreating, the familiar setting of Orochimaru's chambers swimming back into view. _He'd done it! He'd broken out of Itachi's hold!_

And there was no doubt about it… _something_ was going on behind his brother's usually opaque mask of solemnity. Itachi had risen to his feet, brow furrowed in what Sasuke was exceedingly startled to realize looked an awful lot like _fear_. "You weren't _supposed_ to escape that," he commented rather heatedly, almost under his breath, and Sasuke felt a strange pride well up into his chest at the thought that he'd exceeded his brother's expectations. For he might hate Itachi, but his loathing hadn't done a damn thing to rid him of the thirst for the man's acknowledgment.

Coming back to his senses, Sasuke realized that Orochimaru's words were suddenly flowing in droves, the Sannin evidently wishing to say as much as he could before Itachi recovered enough to put a stop to it. And the tale he was spinning… well, _if_ , it was true, Itachi had a lot to explain. "Konoha _lied_ to you about the massacre, Sasuke-kun… and your saintly brother right along with them. The Incident was no psychopathic killing spree hatched by the madness of a disturbed individual. Uchiha Itachi was _forced_ to carry out the slaughter by the Konoha High Council, blackmailed by a man named Shimura Danzo who desperately feared the power and potential of an ambitious clan full of Sharingan wielders. And the key to Danzo's hold over the greatest prodigy of his generation? None other than _you_."

Sasuke felt Itachi's chakra spike beside him, recognizing the mark of a powerful genjutsu, but the Sannin simply laughed, clearly unaffected. "Holding back a bit, neh, Itachi-kun? How… _disappointing._ My body may appear weak, but I haven't lost my will yet. You'll have to do better than that to ensnare me once again... not that I don't think you _fully capable_."

Reptilian eyes returned to Sasuke's face, full of a sick sort of mirth at the shock that he had no doubt was etched there. "Ah, my words appear to be sinking in quite nicely. Now, as I was saying, your _foolish_ brother always valued you above all else, Sasuke-kun. You're his most precious possession, his greatest weakness, and his _downfall_. Tasked with the obliteration of the Uchiha and faced with the threat of your death if he refused, he was putty in Danzo's hands. And the rest, as they say, is _history_."

* * *

 _And with that, Orochimaru had just signed his own death warrant._ Despite the ruthless life he'd lived, Itachi had done his best over the course of his Akatsuki career to keep his body count to a relative minimum, abhorring the needless killing that seemed to bring the majority of his fellow missing nin such glee. However, as he took in the scene playing out before him - his brother's wide-eyed horror, the knowing smirk of the Snake Sannin as he delighted at the devastation he'd just wreaked - a foreign, murderous thirst rushed through his body. In just a few minutes, the Sannin had completely destroyed the carefully crafted narrative Itachi had set in place over a decade ago, dashing every plan for retribution, every hope for his brother's future, and he would _pay_ in blood.

Looking at the matter logically, the revelation that Orochimaru was acquainted with the truth behind the massacre was exceedingly unexpected. _How had his former partner known?_ After all, the affair had been declared highly classified by the village before Itachi had even carried it out, and the only two individuals he'd personally informed were Kakashi and Sakura, whom he trusted absolutely. Sure, the Konoha High Council could still talk, but the threat of banishment and/or death that hung over the revelation of such state secrets was not to be taken lightly, nor was collaborating with one of Konoha's most legendary antagonists. Itachi knew that Sarutobi had informed Jiraiya and Tsunade about aspects of the arrangement, but there was absolutely no way that the Sandaime or his two loyal proteges would have _ever_ told his rogue ex-student anything that could have compromised Konoha's stability and security. As for the rest of the High Council, well, given that Sarutobi had been the sole dissenting voice, Itachi rather doubted that the other members would _want_ their morally questionable decision to order the slaughtering of the Uchiha to get out. Which left "Tobi." Up until recently, the masked man had kept an extremely low profile, but given his Akatsuki allegiance and the fact that he was the only non-Konoha shinobi appraised of what had truly transpired that night, he seemed the most likely option.

But Orochimaru's informant was of relatively little importance, at least for the time being. Itachi might be intellectually curious as to his or her identity, but the fact that the Sannin knew and had told _Sasuke_ was far more pressing. " _Nii-san_ … is this _true_?"

 _Ah… nii-san… how wonderful it was to hear those words from Sasuke's lips._ The moniker tore at his heart strings, taking Itachi back to his youth, when his _otouto_ had been all big, dark eyes; sweet, trusting smiles; and boyish, affectionate hugs. _But no, this was no time for reminiscing. Somehow, he needed to fix the mess that Orochimaru had created._ Drawing on every ounce of his experience as an ANBU operative and double-agent, Itachi fought to keep his expression calm and his voice even. He could simply _lie_ … but he suspected that Orochimaru's words had struck too deeply for simple denial to be effective. Instead, hoping against all hope that the memory of the childhood trauma would right the course, he met his brother's horror-struck gaze head on. "Sasuke, you saw that night with your own eyes. Surely, you remember what I _did_ … what I said to you then. You already _know_ the truth."

 _Silence_. Itachi observed his brother carefully, the lightning that he'd summoned flickering out and his hands dropping to his sides, shoulders weighed down but the onus of his thoughts. Eyes wide and blazing with the Sharingan, he stood in the center of the chamber in stunned silence, seemingly numb to the world around him. The shift in his emotional state from their spar had been sudden, but it wasn't exactly surprising. After all, the Uchiha massacre had been one of the core events - if not _the_ event - that had most shaped his _otouto's_ life. To discover that the version he knew might very well be a lie… well, Itachi wasn't entirely sure that Sasuke would _ever_ recover from the revelation. It was one of the reasons he had tried to ensure that his brother would _never_ find out, as he'd explained to Sakura back on Toki what felt like a lifetime ago.

And to make matters _worse_...

Itachi's eyes suddenly alerted him to a new, foreign chakra presence in the room, a primeval, insidious essence that seemed to be seeping from the direction of the Sannin. Tearing his gaze away from his brother's face, he realized with a sudden rush of revulsion that Orochimaru's decrepit host body had vanished, replaced by what appeared to be his true form: a gigantic white snake, recognizable by virtue of those dreadful yellow eyes and that cruel, twisted smile, that ran at least seventy feet in length. The snake was slowly but steadily making his way towards his brother in what could only be the beginning of his Reincarnation Technique. And Sasuke, a prisoner to his mind and emotions, was apparently powerless to resist, just as Itachi had feared and Orochimaru had almost certainly intended. But most horrifically of all, it appeared that there was a paralytic aspect to the creature's aura... _for Itachi couldn't move._ The snake's reptilian jaw unhinged, preparing to swallow Sasuke whole, and Itachi could see the wave of genjutsu washing over his brother by virtue of his Sharingan. _He had no choice but to follow_.

Abandoning his useless body, Itachi's mind fought its way into the illusory world of Orochimaru's reincarnation jutsu, his Sharingan burning from the effort. As the haze cleared, Itachi found himself in a dark, damp locale that smelled rather strongly of bile and forcefully reminded him of the stomach in which Jiraiya had once attempted to trap he and Kisame. _Hn, the literal belly of the snake._ Breaking through would require far more chakra than he cared to expend at the moment, but it wasn't like he had a lot of other options, and it was certainly _doable_. For, as Itachi had demonstrated to great effect in the past, the Mangekyo was a powerful trump card, and he had yet to encounter a genjutsu it couldn't break out of. _Now then, to find Sasuke..._

As it happened, his brother was quite close by, covered up to his shoulders in a fleshy, pink, intestine-like substance. Sasuke's Sharingan was active, and his eyes shifted slightly as Itachi approached him in what he assumed was a vague acknowledgment. On the whole, however, he remained silent and passive, seemingly unconcerned by the fact that Orochimaru was moments away from claiming him. _Surely, Sasuke realized how much danger he was currently in? Or, more troublingly, given what he'd just learned, perhaps, he no longer cared?_ Well, the point was moot, for there was utterly no way that Itachi would _ever_ forsake his _otouto_ or permit one such as Orochimaru to possess his eyes, knowing their potential as well as he did. Grasping Sasuke rather firmly by his left shoulder, just below the vile curse mark, Itachi concentrated hard on dispelling the Snake's illusory world, a blood-curdling shriek cutting through the silence of the snake's belly as the genjutsu began to break up. Gritting his teeth and ignoring the torturous visions of death and destruction swirling about him, the sensation of a thousand needles piercing his skin all at once, and the sound of his mother screaming (for Orochimaru had always been a sick bastard, with a fondness for preying on what was dearest and most personal), Itachi yanked his brother as firmly as he could, his focus steadfast on dragging Sasuke back to the realm of the living.

As he felt the fleshy floor of the genjutsu world return to solid stone under his feet, Itachi's dark lashes sprang open, blazing red eyes taking in with more than a little relief the cavern with its sickly yellow lighting. And, by his side, was Sasuke, face as blank as it had been in the Snake's realm but seemingly whole. With the confirmation that his _otouto_ was bodily unharmed, Itachi turned his gaze forward and upwards, meeting eyes with the white serpent towering above them, twitching spasmodically in fury. "I warned you long ago, Orochimaru. All of your jutsus are _worthless_ before these eyes, and _Fushi Tensei_ is no exception."

At that, the snake lunged at Sasuke in what Itachi surmised was a last-ditch effort, but the paralytic that had seeped through the cavern earlier no longer seemed to hold its effect, and Itachi was _ready_. " _Amaterasu_ ," he breathed, right eye burning in familiar, white-hot agony agony as it began to ooze blood. Between the previous conflict with Sasuke, the fact that he'd almost died just over a week ago, and, most devastatingly, the energy he'd just expended breaking into and out of Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation, he could tell that he was rapidly approaching his limit, but still he pressed onward, aware that his brother's life depended on it. _Kami, let it be enough…_

It was. Or, more accurately, it _seemed_ to be. Black flames engulfed the snake greedily, and it released a piercing shriek that reverberated off of the cavern walls. The creature wavered above them, careening left, then right in pain. And then, it was falling… _straight towards them_. "Sasuke… _move_!" Itachi cried, stumbling slightly out of exhaustion in his haste to jump back, away from the burning reptile's trajectory. Very fortunately, Sasuke appeared to pick that time to come to his senses, for he nimbly leapt to Itachi's side, joining him in the doorway with his gaze locked on their foe.

One more wail of utter agony was followed by a heavy thump as the snake's still flaming body hit the earth of the cavern, the sheer weight of the creature setting off a tremor that reverberated through the space, the candles wavering on the walls. And then, all was silent and still, save the inimical flickering of the black flames as they eagerly began to consume the massive, fallen body. Itachi let out a sigh he hadn't even been aware he was holding, a mixture of relief and dread flooding his senses. Exhausted by the effort, he dropped to his knees by his brother's side, right eye burning from the after effects of his ocular jutsu and heart thumping in his chest from the adrenaline and the anticipation of what was to come. As for Sasuke… glancing up, Itachi found himself meeting his _otouto's_ now dark eyes, still wide with shock. The man - _no, boy, Sasuke looked so young at that moment -_ licked his pale lips and began to speak, voice soft and surprisingly uncertain. " _Nii-san_ … I…"

How Itachi wished to respond to his _otouto's_ plea for information. He desperately needed to explain, to try and correct course before _Sakura_ arrived. But the room was growing frustratingly fuzzy, and not even he could escape the effects of severe chakra depletion. He was losing consciousness, body drained by the battle with the Sannin and the spar with his brother. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. _Later_..."

Just as the world was about to fade to black; however, Itachi noticed a dark, shadowy essence, wrapping itself around Sasuke's body, _caressing_ him like a lover as it wound its sinewy way up his powerful legs, slender waist, and muscular shoulders, funneling itself into the dark seal blotting the left side of the man's neck. And Sasuke, lacking the Mangekyo that so powerfully heightened Itachi's chakra senses, appeared utterly oblivious to the intrusion. _Hn, it appeared that Orochimaru had_ multiple _endgames when he put that damnable Cursed Seal of Heaven in place._ _Well, he would do his best to lift it… assuming that Sasuke didn't kill him first._


	24. The Disappearance

_[AN: A brief note this time. Thank you as always for the feedback/follows/favorites, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto!]_

 **Chapter 24: The Disappearance**

It felt like years. As she waited in silence with Kakashi and Yamato, the murky dusk fading to a dim twilight and eventually the emptiness of night, Sakura tried not to think about him. Or, well, _them_ , really… the two brothers she'd somehow been cursed to fall in love with, currently fighting what was probably a death match for the ages not even a mile from where she lay hidden, unable to do anything more than wait for the signal.

 _There was no use despairing_ , she tried to tell herself. After all, this was what Itachi _wanted_ , it was what she signed up for when she'd agreed to help him weeks ago now, and it was their best shot of getting Sasuke back for good.

 _Then why did she feel so_ rotten _about it all?_ Itachi had assured her time again that there was no other way. Maybe she was an idiot, or perhaps five years with the ever-optimistic Naruto as her teammate had clouded her sense of realism, but she _still_ struggled to see the situation as truly inevitable, even now. Sasuke was angry, driven, and hardened after five years by Orochimaru's side, but he was also intelligent, a good man at heart (she _had_ to believe that), and _usually_ logical, with a clear moral code. Surely, if they had _explained_ , he would have eventually come around to the same realization that she had? That the Elders had made a dreadful, terrible mistake that they undeniably deserved to be punished for (although, admittedly, the chances of that ever happening were bleak), but that Konoha itself could not be held accountable?

 _Then again, Sasuke had been hellbent on revenge for the vast majority of his life… and he was pretty damn stubborn._ And, far more poignantly, it _was_ his clan that had been exterminated "for Konoha's sake," through the blackmailing of his beloved elder brother, no less. Given the positively ruthless circumstances and his pride, forgiveness might not come so easily.

But it was no matter… it was too late. _Much_ too late, for Mikoto suddenly sent up a flare, indicating that the conflict had ended and it was time for their recovery squad to switch into gear. _Now, if only she could keep her heart from trying to beat itself out of her chest with nerves._ For, if all went according to Itachi's plan, she had several jobs to perform that night - a long-lost teammate to confront, a body to recover, a surgery to perform - and she couldn't let her feelings get in the way. _As Itachi himself had recited to her just a few weeks ago in the Land of Water, a shinobi must never show tears._

From his seat against the base of a large yew, Kakashi seemed to pick up on the sudden change in Sakura's temperament. His long, lean silhouette stood, barely perceivable in the inky darkness of the forest, and he approached her with the trained silence of the S-class shinobi that he was, right hand coming to rest on her slender shoulder. "Is it time?" He murmured, voice slightly hoarse from either emotions or disuse. _Probably the latter… there seemed to be no love lost between her sensei and Itachi, after all._

"Hai," Sakura replied softly, thankful for the blackness of the night that kept her expression hidden. _At least as long as that left eye stays covered._

Kakashi hummed in response, the sound soft, gentle, and vaguely comforting to her ears. She'd never particularly liked the way that he tended to brush off her concerns when she was a genin, frivolous though some of them were, but this was different. Now, the sensation that he, her thoroughly capable squad leader and _sensei_ , was there by her side, _supporting her_ , had a certain, calming effect on her tightly wound nerves. The hand on her shoulder no longer said "there, there, Sakura-chan, _sensei_ will make it all better," but rather, "As your captain, I'll make sure _we_ make it through this." The distinction was somewhat subtle yet, at that moment, profound. _And it was exactly what she needed,_ she realized, spine stiffening with determination. _Perhaps, her somewhat eccentric, seemingly distant_ sensei _knew her better than she realized._

Somewhere to their left, she heard Yamato spring to his feet. Then, Kakashi's warm hand drifted away from her shoulder; a whispered request to "lead the way, Sakura-chan" was uttered; and they were off, dashing through the dense undergrowth of the increasingly marshy environs in the same direction in which she'd watched Itachi's retreating figure disappear mere hours ago.

* * *

They closed in on Orochimaru's hideout in silence, trained senses carefully attuned to their surroundings for any and all signs of traps and/or an ambush. For the time being, Sakura led; with Kakashi in the middle, Sharingan exposed; and Yamato at the rear. Walking straight into a snake's den was madness - Kakashi didn't need his twenty-something years of shinobi experience or an ANBU career to know _that_ \- but, tonight, that was their mission, and it was his duty as captain to ensure that his squad came out of it alive. _Or, at least, that Yamato, Sakura, and Sasuke survived. They didn't really have a choice when it came to Uchiha Itachi, after all._

Since watching the Uchiha's too-familiar back disappear into the trees hours ago now, profile ramrod straight with intent; dark, silky hair tied rather elegantly at the nape of his neck; and slender figure draped in the jarring cloud-print robes of the Akatsuki, Kakashi had done his best _not_ to think about the man. For his feelings about his former teammate's latest sacrifice - _and everything else Itachi related, really -_ remained decidedly _complicated_ , and he'd learned long ago that it did no good to dwell on that which he could not change. Instead, as the hours passed by, the Copy Ninja had forcefully directed his thoughts on their assignment, and he found his mind running over the upcoming confrontation with his rogue student again now, as the trees turned to scraggly brush and they entered the great marsh surrounding the Sannin's underground fortress.

Kakashi had always struggled somewhat when it came to managing Sasuke ( _and Naruto… and Sakura… but that was really beside the point at the moment)_. When he'd first received his genin team assignment from Sarutobi-sama, the fact that he'd been charged with the only Uchiha remaining in Konoha had been utterly unsurprising. After all, he was the only other denizen with firsthand Sharingan experience, and he couldn't deny that his own, painfully lonely teenage years rendered him far more sympathetic to the boy's plight than Asuma or Kurenai. _And there was the fact that he'd been exceedingly close with Itachi._

Despite the layers of connections, however, when Team 7 began training together, Kakashi had found the boy exceedingly challenging to get through to. For, in addition to being emotionally damaged goods, Sasuke possessed a prideful, alpha-male streak; a stubbornness that was apt to rear its ugly head at the worst of times; a dangerous thirst for power; and one hell of a chip on his shoulder. He was a sponge when it came to new jutsus and other knowledge that would aid him in becoming strong and fulfilling his quest for revenge, but instructing him in fundamental Konoha principles such as teamwork and patience was positively nightmarish. None of this was particularly _surprising_ given his Uchiha genetics and the legacy of the massacre, but that didn't make the headache go away by any stretch of the imagination.

Given all _that_ , confronting Sasuke now, after a five-year absence in which he'd undergone who-the-hell-knew-what under Orochimaru's twisted hand and barely an hour after he'd, for better or for worse, murdered his elder brother in cold blood, wasn't a task that he'd wish upon his worst enemy. And yet, somehow, that was what he, Sakura, and Yamato were about to do. What's more, they were supposed to bring Sasuke back to _Konoha_ , the very place he'd turned his back on five years ago for being unable to give him the power he craved. _He could only hope that Itachi was right about those bonds of the heart..._

By virtue of his Sharingan, Kakashi could make out the tiled rooftop of Orochimaru's headquarters, standing grimly against the night sky. Picking up his pace, he sprinted by Sakura, taking the lead as the team captain (for if anyone besides Itachi snuffed it that night, it was going to be him) and member of their trio best suited for reconnaissance work. As he passed by, his sensitive nose picked up her familiar honeysuckle shampoo, setting off a prickle of pleasure deep within despite their current circumstances. _Ah, Sakura-chan._ He had to admit, she was taking the mission exceedingly well so far, particularly given the emotions that he _knew_ to be coursing through her veins. In that year she'd been under his direct instruction as a genin, he'd been rather concerned about what would become of her. With her insecurities, her temperament, and her preference for all things feminine, she'd seemed ill-suited for the kunoichi lifestyle. But she had turned out to be _far_ more than a pretty face ( _although, her face was quite lovely these days... as was the rest of her_ ). Now, the grit, the newfound ability to put aside her feelings ( _which_ , he suspected with more than a trace of jealousy, _had a lot to do with Itachi's training_ ), and the willingness to ignore the glaring fact that the hand she'd been dealt was exceedingly unkind spoke to how much she'd truly come into her own.

The stone pillars of the entrance to the lair rose up ominously from the surrounding swamp, reminding Kakashi rather appropriately of a crypt. _Orochimaru had always had a rather... particular aesthetic._ He didn't see, smell, or sense any guards lurking, but they couldn't be too careful. Time was of the essence given Itachi's concerns about the chance of an Akatsuki interference and the possibility that Sasuke himself might decide to take off, but recklessness would do them no good, either. Signalling to his companions, Kakashi ducked silently into the final copse of trees ninety-or-so feet from the entrance, Sharingan locked on the pitch-black mouth. After reciting the first two and two-thirds pages of _Icha Icha Paradise_ to himself (his preferred alternative to counting out the requisite three-and-change minutes that Minato had long ago advised him to give when undertaking surveillance) and still not detecting any sort of threat in the area, he took off at a sprint, the fetid marsh wind blowing back his hair and the light footsteps of Sakura and Yamato almost imperceptible behind him.

Crossing the threshold through the stone arch, Kakashi ducked inside, the earthy smell of the steeply sloping tunnel assaulting his nostrils. The air was dry, in contrast to the damp marsh outside, and a row of yellowy candles illuminated the path downwards, the deathly stillness of the flames speaking to the seeming lack of any other living beings. Despite this assurance, the Copy Ninja immediately slowed his pace to a walk, signalling for Sakura and Yamato to do the same. The Sannin were of his father's generation, but growing up in Konoha when he did, Kakashi couldn't _not_ know how well-versed their current adversary was in trickeries of the senses _and_ the mind. Hostile shinobi were not the only dangers to beware when attempting to penetrate one of Orochimaru's strongholds.

Fortunately, between his Sharingan and the imprint of the crow that Sakura had had marking Itachi, they were able to steer clear of the threats (and, true to form, Orochimaru had many, most of which were _highly_ subtle). Painfully slowly, they wound down the claustrophobic route to the heart of the lair, silent except for the gentle sound of their shinobi sandals on the stone. As the way leveled out and the abundance of candles grew, they found themselves beginning to periodically pass by heavy wooden doors, regularly spaced along the tunnel and firmly latched. Kakashi was rather surprised that they remained completely unharassed. _After the failed Konoha invasion five years ago, he'd likely lost some of his luster, but, surely, Orochimaru still had_ some _followers? Kabuto should be lurking_ somewhere _, at least._ Then again, Itachi had been there before them… it appeared that whatever guards had been in place had been efficiently neutralized.

A breathy gasp behind him had Kakashi suddenly spinning on his heels to meet Sakura's emerald gaze. _Had he missed one of Orochimaru's traps?_ But no, the kunoichi appeared unharmed, although her cheeks had turned a rather pleasing shade of pink. _Not that he had_ any _business whatsoever noticing such things on an S-ranked mission in the depths of the Snake Sannin's domain_. _Head in the game, Hatake._ He cocked an inquisitive eyebrow, and her blazing green eyes flickered with nervous anticipation. "They _should_ be... just ahead…" she murmured, her soft voice startlingly loud after the silence of the past half-hour as she tapped into the memory of her summons. (Kakashi had been extremely interested to discover roughly an hour ago now that the ocular abilities of the crow summons granted Sakura glimpses of what it had seen in the same way that a _bushin_ user absorbed the clone's memories once dissolved.)

He nodded wordlessly, led them around one more bend, and then stopped before an open door, mismatched eyes widening in shock at the sight that greeted them.

They appeared to be looking into someone's bedroom - or, at least, he thought he could make out a bed in one corner - but it was admittedly rather hard to tell. For the cavernous space was almost completely filled with the body of a positively massive white snake, the sickly yellow lighting casting a ghostly glow over its pearlescent scales. Kakashi's right hand immediately reached to the holster on his leg for a kunai, body tensing in preparation. _The knife wouldn't do much. If they were lucky, it would buy them enough time to maybe pull some sort of escape strategy out of their asses._ Then, mind catching up with his Sharingan and his reflexes, Kakashi came to the immensely welcome conclusion that the enormous creature before them was dead. What was more, sections of the corpse were flickering with the black fires of what he recognized as _Amaterasu_. _Well, it seemed that Itachi had accomplished phase 1 of his Sasuke_ _recovery plan, then._

Sparing a glance to his left, Kakashi took in the stunned faces and wide eyes of his teammates, smiling ryely beneath his mask at Sakura's literal dropped jaw. "Mah, it appears that the rumors in Konoha about Orochimaru's true form are true then. Or… more, accurately, _were_ ," he commented in feigned casualness, attention returning to the reptile.

"Hai," came Yamato's rather faint-hearted reply. _Given his history with Orochimaru, the wood user probably bore no particular love for snakes._ "Uchiha-san appears to have done an admirable job."

"Indeed." _Now, where had those damned Uchiha_ _disappeared to?_ Other than the snake's corpse, the room appeared devoid of any beings, living or otherwise. A vague dread slowly crept its way up Kakashi's spine as he stared into the black flames, as if searching for an answer from the absent man's jutsu. _Were they too late? Had the Akatsuki somehow beat them to the punch, taking Sasuke, presumably still alive, although no guarantee there,_ and _Itachi's body with them?_ The concept seemed disturbingly feasible. After all, Uchiha Itachi had a positively astronomical bounty on his head, Kakashi very much doubted that the Akatsuki felt any sort of loyalty to one another given the whole S-class rogue nin thing, and that Mangekyo of his was an immensely desirable prize. _And_ Itachi himself had warned them that Tobi - _or Madara, although_ that _was still pretty damn hard to believe -_ was extremely interested in his _otouto. Along with the rest of the planet._ For, when it came to Sasuke's fate, his _Kekkei Genkai_ seemed far more of a curse than a blessing.

But, there were also, of course, more nefarious explanations. For there were _a lot_ of variables and moving parts to everything that the Uchiha had outlined back in Sakura's cheery little studio, even for a prodigy such as himself. Itachi was damn good at controlling situations - Kakashi didn't know of anyone _better_ \- but, when dealing with opponents as wily as Orochimaru, no man could truly be infallible. _Could something unexpected have happened?_ _Or, worse still... could Itachi have played them all as fools?_

Over the week in which Kakashi had had him under observation, the Uchiha had passed ever lie detector technique in the ANBU handbook. For, despite his mind's unhealthy fixation with Sakura, he had also taken those uncomfortable lunches in her apartment as an opportunity to try and get a read on Itachi. But they were dealing with a truly brilliant man… and an exceedingly _dangerous_ shinobi who was also immensely well-versed in methods of detection and deception, not to mention the very ANBU techniques that Kakashi had been attempting to employ against him. Perhaps, the sense of security that had grown in Kakashi's chest with every interaction, that the Uchiha's narrative and intentions were the honest truth and that his affection for Sakura could actually be genuine (albeit inappropriate, unwelcome, and deeply enraging), was in fact no more than further testament to his deeply manipulative nature? He didn't _want_ to believe it, but they couldn't rule betrayal out by any stretch of the imagination.

* * *

Sakura was fairly certain that this was another one of those moments about which she was going to be having nightmares for the rest of her life. It wasn't _quite_ as bad as that night during her first Chunin Exams when Sasuke had been attacked in the Forest of Death… but it was close. For starters, the corpse of the white serpent before them was positively vile, particularly after Kaka-sensei clued her in to the attractive fact that _this_ was her beloved _Shishou's_ former teammate's true form. _A cautionary tale in the danger of meddling with too many jutsus,_ she supposed with a suppressed shudder. But far, far worse than the visuals was the sinking dread pooling in the pit of her stomach, for it was increasingly clear that something had gone wrong. Neither Sasuke nor Itachi was anywhere to be seen, and her crow hadn't been close enough to the action to give her any sense of what had happened or where the men could have possibly gone, leaving their next step woefully uncertain.

Mind cycling through a seemingly endless loop of devastating scenarios, all of which culminated in the extinction of the Uchiha clan, Sakura spared a glance at Kakashi, but the too-solemn expression in his steely, mismatched eyes gave her no comfort. "I don't suppose your summons…?" he slowly asked, trailing off as Sakura shook her head in a emphatic no. "Hm. It was worth a try. Well, as you've probably conjectured, the flames _are_ Itachi's calling card." Kakashi's voice was deceptively calm, but it had been a long time since that particular tone had soothed her.

 _Black flames. Amaterasu, if she was remembering correctly from the index on the Sharingan that he'd given her._ Well, it appeared that she'd finally learned which Mangekyo ability Itachi's right eye possessed. Not that it mattered much now.

To her left, Yamato's voice cut through the silence, low and somewhat tentative. "Senpai… do you think it would be worth summoning Pakkun? I know Uchiha-san was against calling on the ninken, but the situation appears to have shifted…"

Kakashi gave a quick nod, hands quickly weaving a familiar sequence. With a puff and a whiff of Sakura's old shampoo, the pug appeared before them, intelligent eyes quickly assessing the situation. "Keeping me busy these days, Boss," he commented in her _sensei's_ direction. Then, catching a glimpse of the snake, he took a quick double step backwards before recovering. "Orochimaru's lair? You've had quite the time, by the looks of it."

"Mm," the Copy Ninja agreed vaguely, clearly not in the mood for the pug's chippy small talk. "I don't suppose you could give us a sense of where the Uchiha have run off to? Itachi _or_ Sasuke. Both would be preferred if you can get a nose on them."

Pakkun quickly set to work on the stone floor around the open doorway, the little sniffling noises amplified by the silence of the cavernous room. "Well, they _were_ both here. But I take it that you already knew that given the wreckage." He looped back out of the room and into the hallway, down the opposite direction from which they'd come, Kakashi following eagerly at his heels. A prickle of hope stirring up inside her, Sakura moved to follow the duo, quickly joined by Yamato, who appeared exceedingly pleased by the prospect of putting some distance between himself and the snake.

The path that Pakkun led them on stayed flat for a time, passing by a seemingly endless row of closed doors and eerie candles, but then it gradually began to slope upwards. Unlike the entrance they'd taken down into the lair, this route was unlit, and the walls were roughly hewn, even more tunnel-like than the front path. Sakura could feel the deadly prickle of Orochimaru's layered misdirection jutsu in the air, suggesting that this was one route that the Snake Sannin did _not_ intend anyone to find. But, of course, between Kakashi's Sharingan and Pakkun's nose, they had a definite advantage over the vast majority of shinobi.

The further they walked, the more steeply upwards the path pointed, until, after what felt like hours (but was probably only fifteen or twenty minutes), they found themselves making their way through a grimy little cave cloaked in enough genjutsu to disguise a small city and into a little clearing, surrounded by swamp and bathed by moonlight. "The trail stops here… for _both_ of them," the pug observed softly, eyes glancing rather nervously from Kakashi to Sakura.

"And… _then_?" Sakura asked, thrilled by the seeming confirmation that the men, _both_ brothers, had made it out of the Snake Sannin's hideout _alive_. She was speaking out of turn - Pakkun was Kakashi's summon after all, and he was their appointed team leader - but, at the moment, she couldn't help it. _Could the impossible be possible? Could Itachi have_ somehow _reasoned with Sasuke?_ It was admittedly a bit of a leap given the limitations of Pakkun's scent-based intelligence, but she found herself clinging to the shred of hope that the ninken's words had ignited despite her better judgment, mind frazzled from the stress of the mission and the fears threatening to swallow her whole.

Her enthusiasm was short lived. In response to her query, Pakkun frowned, and Sakura felt her heart plummet to her toes once more. "And then, _nothing_ ," he replied grumpily. "And there's no sniff of any sort of genjutsu or interloper or other bit of foul play mucking up the scent. I'm sorry, Boss, Sakura-chan, Yamato-san… I don't understand it, but I've come up empty pawed."

"Well, you've gotten us off to a good start," Kakashi commented diplomatically as the pug disappeared with a disgruntled frown and a small "poof!"

Green eyes running over the visible portion of her _sensei's_ face in the faint hope of seeing _something_ there to lift her spirits, Sakura was somewhat surprised to find his eyes on her, a vaguely pensive look behind his gaze. "Sakura-chan, when it comes to that crow summons of yours, I don't suppose that there are any larger specimens in your arsenal?"

Sakura frowned. Taking to the skies would certainly be one way of throwing off Pakkun's nose, but why the Uchiha brothers would want to flee the scene given that Orochimaru was apparently dead was well beyond her. Unfortunately, however, despite signing a contract with the crows herself, she knew relatively little about the full scope of the relationship. There hadn't been a lot of time to go over the details, after all, and, she realized (with some embarrassment) that she'd be so focused on her newfound physical intimacy with Itachi in those last few heady days on Toki that she hadn't actually thought to ask. She was fairly certain that the only birds that _she_ could summon were of typical size, but that didn't necessarily mean that Itachi's contract was exactly the same. He had commented at one point that the crows were useful for communication purposes and hadn't ever said anything about transportation, but it was certainly possible that he'd withheld information… it wouldn't be the first time. _Although, usually, he only seemed to leave out details that he judged her better off_ not _knowing, and it was hard to see why it would hurt her to know this. Unless… but no. She was being silly. There was no way he'd double-cross them..._

Chasing that ugly though from her mind, Sakura shook her head. "Itachi-san never said anything about it." _Was it just her imagination, or had her_ sensei _flinched slightly at her use of Itachi's first name?_ That thought was chased out of her mind, however, as Kakashi let out a heavy sigh and exchanged an odd, rather knowing look with Yamato that rankled her already fraying nerves. _What was_ that _about?_

"Sakura-chan," Kakashi began slowly, in that soft, attempt-at-soothing tone, "I realize that what I'm _about_ to say to you isn't what you're going to want to hear right now, but… I think it's time to return to Konoha."

 _Wait. What? He wanted to_ abandon _Sasuke and Itachi?_ Sakura's eyes narrowed, an angry heat climbing up from under the collar of her shirt as her mouth fell open to protest, but Kakashi held up his right hand before her, his expression all at once contrite and firmly committed. "We have no further leads and the scope of this mission has changed. Our three-man cell is no longer the best -"

Sakura cut in, spine straightening as she met his charcoal gaze defiantly. " _But sensei_ , we can't just leave. I _know_ we don't know what happened, but, if he's alive, surely, Itachi-san will try and reestablish contact with us as quickly as possible? If we leave, it will take him much longer to track us down. And if he's hurt… or ill… or dead…." She paused, grimacing at the thought. "If he's _dead_ , then Sasuke will be _alone_. What if that threat from the Akatsuki catches up with him? I'm sure he can take care of himself, but Itachi was worried that he might be emotionally vulnerable, and I'm sure his chakra levels will be weak after fighting Orochimaru. _And_ there's the matter of the Sharingan. Itachi wanted Sasuke-kun to have his eyes, and I'm… I was supposed to be there to perform the transplant. There's only so much time following his death that the organs will still be viable..." She trailed off, painfully aware that both Kakashi and Yamato were eyeing her with undisguised trepidation. _They weren't going to listen. It was two-versus-one, and she was the odd team member out._

Kakashi sighed, running his right hand through his wild silver hair in what seemed to be vague frustration, tall and imposing in the moonlight as the tomoe of his still-uncovered Sharingan slowly spun. Then, voice even softer than before (a further sign of his annoyance that she recognized far to well from her genin days), he met her challenging gaze square on. "Sakura" - _Ah, no "chan" this time… she'd really done it -_ "I'm _aware_ of how you feel about Sasuke… and Itachi." He paused, looking ever-so-slightly nauseous ( _what_ was _it about Itachi that so bothered him?)_ ; swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing beneath his mask; and then continued on. "But you _must_ see that going back to the village is the only option right now, neh?"

She refused to acknowledge the question, resolved not to back down on this. For Sasuke's and Itachi's lives were very possibly at stake. "What about not forsaking one's comrades, _sensei?_ I thought that made one worse than scum?"

He actually winced, which was fair. For she was challenging him now on one of his core principles, inches away from calling him a hypocrite outright. Moreover, while Kakashi had never let her in enough to know where his personal addendum to the shinobi rulebook had come from, she'd gleaned over the years that it was very likely connected to some intensely painful part of his past, most likely to a dear comrade who'd died long ago. Bringing up those memories now was cruel; she knew that. And, yet, if it could possibly get him to change his mind on this… well…. She'd always preferred sweet, but Itachi had shown her that a little mental torture also had its place in a true shinobi's arsenal.

His grey eye narrowed slightly, as if sizing her up, and Sakura shivered under his gaze, reminded of the fact that Kakashi might be _her_ dear old _sensei_ , but, to the rest of the world, he was an extremely dangerous shinobi. "Sakura," he began, so slowly and quietly that his voice was almost a whisper, "I stand by what I've taught you, and always will. But in this situation… it is _difficult_ to say who has forsaken whom."

At that, Sakura frowned, lower lip jutting out in a pout of contemplation tinged with frustration. She didn't understand why, but it had been clear all week that Kakashi and Itachi did _not_ get along and that her former _sensei_ was not a big fan of her sudden closeness with the elder Uchiha. Was this his attempt at getting her to abandon him? _But no. Kakashi had never been petty before. At least not in any sort of_ serious way. And he was a true professional. There was no way he'd let whatever emotions he felt towards Itachi so deeply impact their mission, would he? Besides, even if he doubted Itachi's motives, he still ought to feel _something_ towards Sasuke. Sakura had quickly dismissed the suspicion that Itachi could have lied about everything - her heart told her that that couldn't be true - but if one considered the current evidence (or lack thereof) in the detached manner that she knew she ought to, then, well, it was hard not to concede that Kakashi might have a point.

Kakashi seemed to sense that his words were having an effect, for he spoke again, this time, more quickly and stridently. "Uchiha Itachi is a deeply intelligent man, Sakura-chan, and it's important to remember that he has worn many masks over his career. It is… _difficult_ to say who the _true_ Itachi is. He _may_ have revealed himself to you, but we cannot know that with surety. Given this uncertainty, how fully the situation has shifted from the original mission that Tsunade-sama assigned us, and the fact that the Uchiha has the means of contacting you as long as he has enough chakra left to summon, I believe, as captain of this squad and a shinobi of the Leaf, that it is time to return to Konoha to regroup."

 _Damn. He had her._ Not only had he appeased to her logical side, but he'd _also_ somewhat subtly invoked the insubordination line that she had utterly no interest in crossing. Sakura felt her shoulders drop slightly in disappointment, but she refused to give in to the weak little genin part of her wishing to cry. For Haruno Sakura was no longer that girl. She would return to the village like the loyal Konoha kunoichi that she was, update Tsunade on the unexpected developments, and hopefully be deployed again in short order as part of an expanded search-and-rescue squad. It was how she'd been trained to respond, not to mention what Itachi himself would do in her shoes _(or, at least what the version that he had made himself out to be would do,_ if _her_ sensei's _theory was true)._

 _But, before they departed Oto, she had one more task to execute._ Hands weaving through the increasingly familiar summoning sequence, Sakura pulled out a kunai from her holster, nicked her left thumb, and quickly healed the cut as Mikoto's dark form appeared on the forest ground, beady black eyes fixed intently on her. "Mikoto, find Itachi-san and Sasuke-kun," she murmured softly to the crow, a sad little sigh escaping her lips as the bird took off into the sky with a solitary cry and the steady beating of wings.


	25. The New Vendetta

_[AN: This chapter was a bit of a labor of love, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out. As always, thank you so much for the feedback, follows, and favorites! I so appreciate the interest! The usual caveats apply: This content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 25: The New Vendetta**

Sasuke stood in the dark depths of Oto, the reptilian corpse of his master stretched out before him and his brother's limp body to his left in the doorway, curled onto his side, his long, dark hair obscuring his face. The silence that had come over the cavern following the snake's collapse was eerie, interrupted only by the occasional crackle of the black flames of _Amaterasu_. Sasuke shivered, a crypt-like chill slowly traveling up his left arm, across his shoulder, and coming to concentrate in the seal on his neck. _Was it just his nerves… or was there something_ more _behind this sensation?_ Perhaps he was imagining things, but it was _almost_ as if some sort of dark shadow, a foreign, _evil_ essence, was nestling itself into the depths of his self-conscious, slipping its way into his body through the mark. _Was that even possible?_ He'd never before encountered this particular aspect of Orochimaru's "gift," and he didn't actually _see_ anything out of the ordinary, even with his Sharingan active. Then again, the seal was Orochimaru's handiwork, and it hadn't exactly come with comprehensive instructions. Not even the Snake Sannin himself had seemed to fully understand every detail.

What _was_ clear was that whatever was coming over him was _not_ a force he could afford to give into. Focusing inward, his vision blurring slightly from the effort, Sasuke steeled himself against the intruder, isolating it to the deepest, most remote section of his mind through sheer strength of will. _Yes, there was definitely something there. But now that he had it identified and compartmentalized, he should be able to address it later._ For there was far more pressing business at hand. Chiefly, the rather burning question of what he was supposed to do _now_.

His first thought was to kill off Itachi and flee the scene. By some stroke of good fortune, he was on the precipice of accomplishing everything he'd set out to do at the start of the night's conflict, even though things hadn't gone according to plan by any stretch of the imagination and he'd _almost_ fallen for the Snake's trap. _He would have too, if it hadn't been for Itachi._ _Tch. But that was no matter. If it hadn't been for Itachi, Orochimaru's words wouldn't have had such a debilitating effect on him in the first place._ Besides, it might hurt his pride, but the way he achieved his goal was meaningless, really... it was the fact that he had that was _truly_ significant. _And now, it was just a matter of finishing the task..._

Sasuke's left hand drifted to the sword strapped along his back, blood pounding in his ears as his palms grew uncomfortably sweaty. He seized the hilt, preparing himself to unsheath the blade and drive it firmly through Itachi's wretched neck. _He could do this. He must._ His eyes drifted over brother's prone form, helpless and spent before him. _His own happy childhood… his_ _family… his_ clan _... all brought to a bitter, bloody end by the actions of a madman… this man… his tormenter… his_ brother _..._

 _And yet..._

 _What if Orochimaru was_ right _? What if the reality was far more complicated than Itachi had led him to believe? What if his nii-san_ had _lied to him that night? If this man, Danzo, was the one who was truly to blame for the destruction of their clan?_ Sasuke found himself remembering Orochimaru's rasped words, the strange fear that had momentarily clouded Itachi's eyes, the driven way that his brother had fought the Sannin, both in the genjutsu realm and in the very room in which he still stood, as if it were _his own_ life at stake. Rewinding further, he recalled past interactions with his brother... the deep, taunting voice that humiliated him when he was twelve, torturing him with _Tsukuyomi_ but letting him live… the night of the Massacre itself... the hardness in his eyes, the emptiness of his tone. Sasuke had always assumed it simple callousness, but now… well…. _H_ _ad Itachi been steeling himself for what he had to do? And why_ had _his brother spared his life on three separate occasions now? Did he really intend to use Sasuke as a mirror, a test of his abilities, or was it something more? Was he truly Itachi's greatest weakness?_ It seemed impossible, and yet… a kaleidoscope of memories were dancing through his mind, repressed memory after repressed memory from his youth.… A piggyback ride when he fell and twisted his knee…. Cool, slender fingers tapping his forehead…. Itachi's patient expression as he rambled on about some silly lesson he'd learned at the Academy…. Dinners with their parents.… The ninneko.… Afternoon jaunts through downtown Konoha…. That sad, soft smile and gentle tone of regretful rejection when there wasn't time for training. _And, come to think of it, the night of the Massacre… that last glimpse he'd had of Itachi's face. Hadn't there been_ tears _in his eyes?_

Just like that, as quickly as it had welled up within him, the blood-lust cooled, his white-knuckled grip on his sword loosening. _No. He wanted revenge… craved it more than anything. But not like_ this _. Orochimaru had raised too many questions, too many uncertainties that only his brother could address. He needed Itachi to live. At least for now… until he had his answers._ Then _, he would truly know what his next move ought to be._

And so, left hand withdrawing from his weapon, Sasuke bent over his elder brother's form, heaving his surprisingly light frame over his right shoulder. A decidedly foreign, not altogether unpleasant shiver coming over him at their quasi-embrace, he rose back up to his feet and quickly traced his way up the unlit back passageway out of Orochimaru's lair, his mind concentrated wholly on getting Itachi out of Oto and someplace where he could undergo treatment for whatever was ailing him.

Passing swiftly through the cave at the top of the tunnel, Sasuke set his brother down against a tree and gazed up at the full, pale moon through the forest now surrounding them. _Where to go… where to go..._

Itachi needed a medic. His completely unresponsive body, perilously weak chakra network, and ghostly pale complexion made that utterly clear. Unfortunately, having spent the vast majority of the past five years close by Orochimaru's side and thanks to their missing-nin statuses, Sasuke knew of just two options, and neither one was particularly attractive. Kabuto was likely close by… but there was no way in hell that Sasuke was ever going near that bastard again if he could help it, and he rather doubted that the medic would have any interest in helping him free of charge (and being indebted to Kabuto was _not_ something he could afford at the moment). Which, most unfortunately, left Karin. Orochimaru's Southern Hideout was much further than he liked given his brother's state, and he certainly didn't relish the thought of her company, but the woman did have some medical abilities, and the location was secure and remote enough that they wouldn't need to worry about being pursued. What's more, given her infatuation, he could pretty much guarantee that she'd assist him.

Decision made, Sasuke quickly summoned Garuda. Then, slinging his brother rather inelegantly back over his shoulder, he climbed up onto the hawk's broad back, and they took off for the Land of Waves, Sasuke doing everything in his power to keep his mind unburdened of the troubling questions and the slew of memories threatening to completely cloud his thoughts once more. _First things first. He would have the answers he craved soon enough._

* * *

Itachi woke with a start, head throbbing, heart racing, and eyes blazing, the searing pain of his overextended Sharingan nothing compared with the full-on panic coursing through his body. _Where was_ Sasuke? _Was he all right? Unaccosted? Unpossessed? What of Orochimaru? And Tobi? And Sakura?_ He hadn't been able to contact her before he'd collapsed. _What would she think? What would Kakashi_ do _?_ Or perhaps the question really was what had the rest of his squad done. For it was clear from the late afternoon sunshine bathing the room that he'd been comatose for at least a good fourteen hours. _Exactly how long_ had _he been out? And… where was he? And how exactly had he gotten wherever he was?_

With a strangled sigh of discomfort, Itachi willed his eyes to return to their passive state - his body was exhausted, and he didn't want to chance falling back into unconsciousness - and examined his surroundings: white walls, an infirmary-like room, and a door across from his bed that appeared firmly latched. Well, he didn't seem to be in any _imminent_ danger. In fact, he appeared to be completely alone, at least for the moment.

One thing was certain: He definitely wasn't in Oto anymore. For the rather scenic view of the ocean outside his open window indicated that he was no longer underground; the hospital bed on which he found himself was much too cushy for anything he'd expect to find in that hellhole; and the smell of salt was on the air, the bright tang filling his nostrils and lungs quite restoratively. _Hn… the scent of the sea._ The environs also ruled out both Konoha and Ame, for the former couldn't exactly be described as coastal, and the latter, while on a lake, was _never_ this sunny. Moreover, it didn't resemble any of the Akatsuki hideouts he knew of, either.

This information _helped_ , but it left a number of options when it came to sorting out what exactly had happened. Tobi/Madara could have his own seaside getaway that he'd been keeping a secret from the rest of the organization (which was possible, although why he bothered to keep Itachi alive was a mystery). Someone else whom Itachi hadn't anticipated could have intercepted them (also feasible given the desirably of the Sharingan, although he hadn't noticed anyone besides Sakura's crow trailing him, and sweeping into Orochimaru's lair right after he'd collapsed would have been one hell of a coincidence). His Konoha teammates could have come to their rescue and brought them somewhere besides Hidden Leaf (sadly, this seemed less likely given that the road to Konoha was away from the coastline). Sasuke himself could have gotten over enough of his shock to sweep them off to some other, as-yet-undefined location (plausible, although his brother had seemed pretty out of it). Or something else entirely that he _hadn't_ considered could have occurred… without additional intelligence, the possibilities were pretty much endless, most unfortunately.

As if on cue, the door swung open, revealing the lean, powerful body of his _otouto_ , still dressed in the same wide-necked white shirt, purple sash, and dark pants that he'd had on during their previous confrontation. _Well, he supposed that that answered the "who" question._ Eyes traveling up to his brother's face, Itachi met the man's gaze impassively, noticing with some relief the even, steady expression in those dark eyes, so remarkably like their mother's. In contrast to their last interaction, he seemed calm and, most importantly, fully _himself_. It appeared that the essence that had crept into Sasuke's body following the death of the white snake hadn't been successful in taking over his consciousness _and_ that enough time had passed for him to process at least some of what Orochimaru had revealed. All of this was seemingly good news... _but it would still do to tread carefully_.

Sasuke was not alone. Behind him trailed a slender woman of medium height with a hank of long, red hair; a pale face with a slightly pointed chin; and dark-rimmed glasses framing deep, red eyes. Judging from the lavender hue of her jacket and the lack of a distinguishing hitai-ate, Itachi surmised that she was another one of Orochimaru's followers. As he quickly scanned her face, her eyes widened slightly, thin lips curving into a rather simpering smile. _Hn, well, this promised to be rather annoying._ The woman appeared harmless enough on first glance, and he didn't sense any profound chakra presence. That being said, he really didn't have time for _nonsense_ , and the way her eyes trailed between himself and his brother, as though they were two particularly delectable orders of dango, told him that she was very likely full of it.

The kunoichi spoke first, her breathy, girlish tone confirming all of Itachi's suspicions. "Oooh, Sasuke-kun, look who's decided to join us. You know, your brother's chakra is _almost_ as delicious as your own."

 _Tch, a sensor. Really, though, what was it with so many shinobi immediately revealing their abilities in conversation these days? Didn't they realize that the element of surprise was one of their greatest weapons?_ Clearly oblivious to her tactical error, the woman nibbled her pink lip rather hungrily, hovering slightly behind and to the right of Sasuke as he came to stand a few feet from the bed, evenly studying Itachi's face. Seemingly accustomed to the redhead's infatuation, he spared her not even the barest of glances, the only sign that he noticed her presence a slight shift in his stance that brought his right hand out of her reach. "Itachi. How are you feeling?" His _otouto's_ voice was neutral, betraying no sign of his intentions, but the fact that he'd even asked such a question was telling enough. _The Snake's words had struck true._

"Such concern for the brother you loathe," Itachi commented darkly, trying to get a rise out of Sasuke. As anticipated, he saw right through the piss-poor attempt, dark eyes fixed rather knowingly on his own. _Well, since the deranged murderer act no longer worked, he'd have to take a different approach. What that would be he didn't actually know yet… but, with a bit of reconnaissance work, he would figure it out soon enough._

Itachi sighed. _Perhaps, it was time to try Sakura's suggested approach: Reasoning with Sasuke._ He seriously doubted that it would work - there was far too much to explain, and his little brother had been living with the ramifications of the Massacre for too long to simply forgive and forget - but what other choice did he have? "I've been better… and worse," he replied truthfully, thinking back to his close shave with death just a week ago in Sakura's apartment. Given the amount of chakra he'd expended traveling to Oto, sparring with Sasuke, and slaughtering Orochimaru, his lungs seemed surprisingly unaffected, come to think of it. _A further testament to Sakura's abilities,_ he mused, a rather painful pang filled his heart as the image of gentle emerald eyes hovering over him swam momentarily through his mind. Instead, it was his eyes causing the brunt of his discomfort this time around. Between forcing himself into the realm of _Fushi Tensei_ and obliterating Orochimaru via _Amaterasu_ , his dojutsu had undergone quite the workout… more than he'd dared to put it through in some time. _Not that he'd exactly had a choice._ "How long was I out?"

"Five days."

 _Far longer than expected. That was certainly less than ideal. His Konoha team probably thought him dead… or a double-crosser. And he couldn't exactly blame them, either._ Quelling the painful though of how Sakura was coping _(for there was nothing he could do about that now)_ , Itachi stretched his neck, eyes never leaving Sasuke's. "And where exactly are we? Water?"

Tactically speaking, he needed to know such mundane details, but there was far more that he wished to broach. Despite his brother's seemingly calm exterior, deep questions remained about Sasuke's current mental state. _It was clear from his borderline cozy reception (well, cozy for an Uchiha) that Sasuke no longer held him responsible for the massacre. But what exactly_ did _he believe? What was his next move to be? Was he aware that he'd seemingly absorbed some of his master's essence through the cursed seal?_ Those were the points he _truly_ cared about. But, of course, with the kunoichi hovering, he didn't dare ask. Flighty as she seemed, as Tobi's buffoonish exterior illustrated, even the dimmest personalities could be a front for something sinister.

Sasuke shrugged. "Waves. One of Orochimaru's old hideouts. I brought you here for treatment. Karin has medical knowledge." Itachi frowned in vague confusion - his illness had kept him slight, but that was quite some distance to lug a full-grown man - and Sasuke added, "I have a contract with hawks." _Ah. So he'd contracted with his own summons, then. Not too shabby, otouto._

At the mention of her name, the kunoichi bounced up eagerly onto the balls of her feet, eyes running heatedly over the visible portion of Itachi's body. "Now…. if you'll just remove your shirt, Itachi- _kun_ , I'd _love_ to perform a _full examination_ ," she cooed, beginning to creep around Sasuke and closer to the side of the bed. Her palms twitched rather hungrily, smile widening and eyes shining with pleasure.

 _Over his dead body._ Fortunately, Sasuke seemed to be of the same mind, for he frowned slightly and muttered in a decidedly dismissive tone, "Go away, Karin."

The kunoichi pouted hugely, lower lip jutting out in what Itachi assumed was supposed to be an irresistible display of begging. _Tch. Hatake's summons were_ far _more convincing, and that was coming from a cat person._ "But _Sasuke-kun_. I'm so _worried_ about Itachi-san. Don't you want me to make sure your _only brother_ is all right?"

 _Itachi-san._ She _had no business calling him_ that _._ The redhead batted her eyelashes in Sasuke's direction, but he appeared completely unmoved. "Out, Karin."

The second time apparently did the trick, or perhaps it was the accompanying death glare. Turning on her heel, the kunoichi dramatically tossed her mane of hair and flounced towards the door, taking on the role of a woman scorned. "Well. The next time your beautiful brother is at _death's door,_ don't come crawling back, begging me to let him _bite_ me."

With that somewhat shocking pronouncement, Karin flounced away, slamming the door behind her. _Charming. Sasuke certainly knew how to pick his female companions._

* * *

As the sound of Karin's shinobi boots against the stone floor faded down the hall, Sasuke felt one sort of tension - the almost nauseating disgust of having to deal with a far too clingy woman who wouldn't leave him alone - fade away, replaced by another, far more ominous awareness that he was now one-on-one with a conscious Itachi for the first time as an adult and had some exceedingly important questions to ask him. Questions whose answers were liable to dictate the trajectory of his foreseeable future.

He hadn't really _wanted_ to believe the Snake Sannin by any stretch of the imagination. Hating his brother was so easy, so simple, so _familiar_ a decade into his rage. That being said, after five days of near-constant thinking, Sasuke was virtually convinced that Orochimaru had told him the truth that night in Oto. Initially, he'd tried not to dwell on what had transpired that night at all, vowing to give his mind a break until Itachi awoke from what Karin had questionably diagnosed as a near-lethal bout of chakra exhaustion ( _five days seemed an awfully long time to be out with_ that _, in his opinion)_. But it was no use. He'd obsessively run over Orochimaru's retelling and his convoluted relationship with Itachi countless times now. And, on each occasion, his conviction that his brother had been up to far more than "testing his vessel" that night had sharpened.

With Karin gone, Sasuke retreated to the only unoccupied piece of furniture in the room, a small stool near the foot of the bed, considering the man before him. For the past decade, Itachi's eyes had been the source of some of his deepest fears and darkest insecurities. _For good reason._ After all, the Mangekyo Sharingan could literally torture a man to death, and there had always been a rather perverse part of him that had craved his brilliant nii-san's recognition, even as he thirsted for his blood. But today, in the tiny infirmary of Orochimaru's Southern Hideout, the spell was broken. While still undeniably deadly, his brother's eyes no longer held that same threatening sway, and, for the first time in his life, Sasuke felt that he was _almost_ his brother's equal.

Itachi returned his gaze with vague curiosity, rather bird-like in his intensity, the thin line of his mouth suggesting that it was up to him to decide when and how to begin. Sasuke wet his lips, a sudden wave of nervous emotion coming over him in anticipation of what he was about to learn. "Nii-san" - _how strange that word felt_ \- "was what Orochimaru said _true_?" He already believed that it was... but to be absolutely _certain_ , to banish his creeping doubt once and for all, he needed to hear it in his brother's own voice.

Itachi sat silently for some time, expression stony and dark eyes glittering in the sunlight slanting through the open window. _They were like tunnels... drawing him in to their inky blackness._ Then, his lips turned up slightly in a sad almost-smile, and he spoke, tone measured, as if he was carefully weighing each word before uttering it. "As I told you in Oto, Sasuke, you _saw_ the truth with your own eyes that night. I killed them... _kaa-san, tou-san,_ my intended _._ I killed them all. And I chose to, willingly and premeditatively. But the... motives behind my actions were admittedly more _complicated_ than I revealed to you then. Know that it was _never_ my intent to lie, but rather to _protect..._ "

 _It was true, then. It was all true._ "And who is Danzo?" _The mystery man whom Orochimaru had claimed was the mastermind behind the Massacre. The man who had left Itachi no choice that night, even if his brother liked to_ think _otherwise. The man whose callous decision to order the slaughtering of them_ _all had made him the new target of Sasuke's vengeance..._

Itachi shut his eyes, the dark shadows beneath them making him appear far older than his twenty-three years. Then, with a slight shudder, he met Sasuke's gaze once again and nodded slightly, as if resigning himself to a fate worse than death. "A member of the Konoha High Council."

 _Strange… how had he never heard the name before?_ Sasuke's brows knit together, a cold chill running up his spine as he processed Itachi's deceptively simple statement. "The Konoha High Council…" he repeated slowly, palms twitching in his lap with impotent rage as the full implications of his brother's words became clear. " _Konoha_ was behind it?"

Itachi's jaw locked, dark eyes boring into his own. It appeared that his last statement had cut his brother to the depths of his soul, for Sasuke could suddenly feel the full intensity of his usually masked chakra presence in the room, dark, vast, and oppressive as a moonless night. Then, Itachi sighed heavily, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, quickly regaining control of whatever emotion had momentarily overwhelmed him. He blinked slowly, and, when his eyes opened once more, the exhaustion in his gaze was palpable, forcing Sasuke's heart to beat painfully in his chest for the suffering his brother had gone through. That _their own village_ had put him through. _It was all so unfair… so cruel..._ _so utterly unforgivable..._

"Sasuke. Danzo is not Konoha. You _must_ understand that. He is a single man, and he had his reasons. The clan - the Uchiha elders, our father included - was plotting against the village. They sought to overthrow the Sandaime, to seize the mantle of Hokage for themselves. And Danzo, rightly or wrongly, decided that a counteroffensive was necessary. It was not a trivial decision… or an _easy_ one. For anyone involved."

He explained it all so patiently, so gently, as if Sasuke were an idiot or, worse, a _child_. "Tch, a _counteroffensive,_ " he replied dismissively, the familiar fire of his Sharingan rising in his eyes unbidden. He didn't mean to rant _at_ Itachi - this was in no way his fault - but he found himself incapable of quelling the venom in his tone. "A _slaughter_ , you mean. The murder of hundreds… families, children, mothers… _._ Not to mention that they destroyed your life, nii-san! And _mine_. All because of an alleged _plot_ that was never even executed? It's… _indefensible."_

Itachi may have _somehow_ made his peace with what had happened, but his brother was a far better man that he could ever hope to be. Whatever their father and the clan Elders had been plotting was immaterial. _Action_ mattered, and, when it came to determining who had been the aggressor, the blame rested squarely and obviously on Danzo's damnable shoulders. _And Konoha's, much as Itachi might not wish him to think it._

He'd never pulled it all together before, but, now that he really thought about it, Sasuke had always known that he wasn't fully welcome in Konoha… that the village was not _his_ village in the way that the rest of his classmates seemed to see it. There had been quite a bit of sympathy for him in the wake of the Massacre, but, by and large, the villagers had always kept their distance, civilians and shinobi alike. It wasn't that he necessarily _wished_ that it had been otherwise , but, still, it was rather strange, wasn't it, that a seven year old whose entire clan had been killed just a few weeks prior had been permitted to check himself out of the hospital, rent an apartment using clan funds, and settle into a solitary life with no adult oversight to speak of? Sure, he was obviously a shinobi, and he realized that that came with certain freedoms, but he'd also been a _child_ , years away from even his Academy graduation. _It was almost like no one had actually cared whether he'd lived or died._

And Konoha's seeming wariness of all things Uchiha wasn't just confined to him or to the period after the massacre. While young, he possessed vague memories of the suspicious gazes that seemed to follow him anytime he stepped out of the Uchiha District; could recall a rather odd conversation with his mother back when he'd been five or six about _why_ all of the Uchiha lived in a designated section of the village that happened to be particularly far away from the Hokage tower, the hospital, the Academy, the shopping district, and, well, everything else of interest; had been aware that, as an Uchiha, he had to fight harder than his classmates for recognition and that coveted promotion to jounin status despite the utility of his clan's dojutsu; couldn't help but notice that there didn't seem to be any Uchiha jounin sensei or much representation of his clan in the Sandaime's inner circle. _It all made sense now. No wonder their elders had been frustrated! The village had systematically isolated and alienated his clan, and Danzo's decision was just the final nail in their collective coffin..._

Sasuke rose to his feet, fists clenched by his side, painfully aware that Itachi was eyeing him with barely disguised alarm. "Sasuke… what's done is done. Revenge will not change ancient history..."

 _Again with the soft, soothing words_. But he wouldn't listen. He couldn't. Not when he'd just learned that his clan had been destroyed for the supposed good of an accursed village that they'd help _found_. That they'd served loyally in whatever capacity they could, only to be slaughtered like dogs the moment they'd dared to even consider righting some of the wrongs they'd suffered. _Yes, Danzo_ and _Konoha would pay for what they'd done. In blood._

That being said, Sasuke also recognized that bringing down an entire village was a bit of a tall order, even with Itachi behind him (for he was fairly certain that he could count on his brother's support, even if his expression right then suggested that he was exceedingly uncomfortable with the course of their conversation). To achieve this new goal, they would likely need assistance, some sort of alliance. _Hn..._

Sasuke's eyes scanned the room thoughtfully, considering their options. _Orochimaru had other followers… Karin, Suigetsu, Juugo, to name a few._ But after five years, he'd grown rather tired of the Snake's system, and he wasn't entirely convinced that the flunkies who'd attached themselves to the rogue Sannin had the sort of drive, expertise, or power necessary to go up against the Leaf. He and Itachi could, of course, attempt to ally themselves with another village, as Orochimaru himself had more-or-less done with Suna a half-decade ago, but politics were tricky things, and having personally experienced the way that the Hidden Villages chewed up and spat out their shinobi, he didn't exactly relish the concept.

Sasuke's eyes drifted over Itachi's black-and-red cloud-printed robe, slung over one of the bedposts, a thin smirk spreading across his lips. _An independent organization that was, from the little that Orochimaru had said about it, already opposed to the Hidden Village system. And, with his brother, he already had quite the in. Yes, that might just do the trick._ "Nii-san. Tell me about _the Akatsuki_ …"


	26. The Betrayal

_[AN: I don't want to spoil_ too _much, but we're in for some fairly serious angst with this next arc of the story, as you may have gleaned from the previous chapter. As usual, thanks a million for the reviews, favorites, and follows! This content is still rated M, and I still do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 26: The Betrayal**

Sakura had done her best to carry on with business in Konoha as usual ever since returning from Oto's fetid marsh two weeks ago. She threw herself into her obligations at the hospital, staying even later than usual after her shift officially ended to help with paperwork, taking on additional hours to help cover for a colleague on maternity leave, and signing up for the most grueling and difficult cases. She spent hours on Training Ground 14 (her preferred solo haunt these days), working to further hone her taijutsu and speed while also seeking to expand her prowess in the realm of genjutsu with a few books she'd borrowed from Kurenai-sensei. She dove deeper than ever before into her research, finally completing her perusal of the massive encyclopedia of poisons she'd been slowly digesting for months before moving on to a new, equally imposing volume on chakra pathways. And, when she wasn't working or training or studying in the vast Konoha library, she was socializing ad nauseum, taking up Ino on every single offer of dinner or coffee or drinks, making a point to have lunch with her coworkers (when she actually bothered to eat anything) rather than at her desk, and even joining the motley crew otherwise known as Kaka-sensei, Yamato-san, and Sai on a couple of pseudo-Team 7 dinner outings.

But nothing helped. Her body was tired, her mind was drained, her socializing skills were more stretched than they'd been since her Academy days, yet she couldn't stop thinking about that accursed pair of darkly handsome, completely frustrating brothers who for all intensive purposes had vanished into thin air. No matter how busy she kept herself, no matter how fully she loaded up her schedule, she found herself speculating constantly… wondering what had gone wrong, where they'd gone off to, and what in Kami's name they were doing now. For, despite her silent prayers to the shinobi gods, there had been no reply to the crow she'd sent out that night in Oto, no intelligence or reports that had arrived (official or otherwise), and no sign of any other type that the Uchiha brothers were anywhere on the planet.

Sakura sat at her kitchen table on what should have been a sleepy Sunday, sipping a cup of lightly sweetened jasmine tea, her mood frightfully stormy despite the early morning sun pouring in through her window. She wasn't usually the earliest of risers, but sleep had been perilously difficult to come by lately. When she'd first moved into it a year ago, the kunoichi had loved her little studio apartment… the twee little kitchenette, the alcove for her bed situated before a wide window (south facing, so she got plenty of natural light), and the stunning view of the Hokage monument. It wasn't much, and the decor was modest, as befit her current pay grade, but it was home, and it was all hers.

Except, these days, it didn't feel quite like that anymore. For, upon returning from Oto, Sakura had discovered that a whole host of memories had taken up residence in her apartment. He'd only lived there with her for a week, but the ghost of Uchiha Itachi haunted the space, and she found it impossible to chase it away. Lovemaking in her little bed and their subsequent morning lie-ins… quiet healing sessions with those sinful, ebony eyes watching her all the while… even the awkward lunches with Kaka-sensei and the often contentious health consultations with her _Shishou_ took on a strangely endearing, nostalgic bent. _And, oh Kami, did it hurt._ She tried to deny it, tried to distract herself from the truth, tried to pretend that everything was fine, but she missed _him_ deeply… and she was worried sick.

A gentle tapping startled Sakura out of the dark thoughts swirling insistently through her mind. Setting her lukewarm mug down with a thunk that sloshed some of the contents over the rim, her eyes jumped eagerly to the window sill, heart pounding with anticipation. _Was this it? After two weeks, had Itachi finally sent her a reply?_

But, alas, it was not to be. There was a bird on the sill outside, but it was not one of the crows that were his calling card. Instead, the messenger was far smaller, a brown-headed little sparrow with a variegated chest and bright, beady eyes that she recognized immediately as one of the Hokage's messenger birds. Rising to her feet in vague curiosity, Sakura crossed to the window, unlatched it, and quickly reviewed the bird's message, informing her that she was to report to her _Shishou's_ office promptly.

With her mistress's desire to see her communicated, the bird flew off, and Sakura watched it disappear into the blue sky, a heady optimism suddenly buoying her low spirits. Since her team's rather uncomfortable debriefing following their failed Oto mission two weeks ago, she'd seen Tsunade several times for prescheduled meetings. But she hadn't actually been summoned by the Hokage for anything out of the ordinary ebb and flow of her regular responsibilities as her apprentice until now. _This_ _was_ probably _just a mission_ , she chided her overeager mind. After all, she hadn't been out of Konoha on a regular assignment in months now, and Tsunade had to get her back out there sooner or later.

 _Then again_ , a little voice that sounded suspiciously like Naruto at his most idealistic observed, _it could be something else. There could be..._ news _._ After all, Itachi had technically been on a mission for Konoha. While her selfish heart hoped that he would have updated _her_ first given all that had transpired between them, reporting back to the Hokage to explain his absence would be the most appropriate course of action and, as such, in line with the dutiful man she believed him to be. And if he hadn't been able to reach Tsunade herself, there was always Jiraiya. The Toad Sannin's intelligence network was legendary, and he had been one of Itachi's closest allies for at least a decade.

 _Or, perhaps, Sasuke himself had, by some miracle, reported in._ Sakura's heart quickened at the thought, a confusing jumble of excitement and sorrow filling her soul. If Orochimaru and Itachi were both dead, Sasuke was liable to be relatively directionless, and it seemed _possible_ that his thoughts would eventually turn back to Konoha. Five years was a long time to be away, but Itachi had seemed to think that his brother would be willing to return to the village once he'd attained revenge. What's more, returning to Konoha also fit with the second, decidedly blush-inducing aspiration he'd professed during their genin days...

Sakura shook her head ruefully, annoyed with herself for falling prey to such illogical fancies. _It wouldn't be wise for her to get too worked up_... but after sitting idle in Konoha, it was hard not to. Grabbing her keys from the hook by her door, slipping on her sandals, and leaving the mess of tea on the table to clean up later, she darted for the door, feeling more alive than she had since the night that Itachi had disappeared into the Oto marsh.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi had been out by the Memorial Stone when Tsunade's missive had arrived. For well over a decade now, the somber clearing was one of his most frequented spots in Konoha when in need of a space for quiet contemplation and/or some time to reminisce. While he was occasionally joined by others in his silent vigil - usually fellow ninja, although the odd civilian with shinobi ties would sometimes stop by to pay their respects - this morning, he found himself alone, which was how he preferred it, truth be told.

In what had long ago become a familiar routine, his eye drifted over the dark monolith, pulling out the far too numerous names whose shapes and locations he had long ago committed to memory. The very first was his father, a somewhat controversial addition given his history whose inclusion was nonetheless pushed through at the stiff-backed insistence of the Sandaime. Then came Obito followed later on by Rin… their smiling faces swimming to the forefront of his memory despite the number of years that had gone by. Moving on, the familiar names clustered… Inuzuka Ikumi, the first woman he'd ever been with, killed by a surprise ambush of Kiri shinobi days after her sixteenth birthday. Minato-sensei and his beloved wife, Kushina, robbed of a long and happy life together and the joys of a son who would have left them by turns exceedingly proud and endlessly frustrated (for Naruto would never be a saint, and Kushina had possessed quite the temper). Other names from the Third Great Shinobi War… old ANBU teammates, including the legendary Shunshin no Shisui (another hotly contested inclusion whose addition to the stone given the mystery surrounding his death represented one of the Uchiha clan's last great political triumphs prior to the Massacre)... too many other shinobi he'd once known, jounin, chunin, and genin alike, some peripherally, others more intimately.

For a time, the deluge of familiar names slowed in what had been a relatively peaceful era for Konoha and himself alike, that happy period when he'd been pulled out of ANBU to lead Team 7. But then, as always, the pace quickened once more with a new era of violence - the time of the Snake Sannin's invasion five years ago - and the steady flow of names returned, capped off by the Sandaime himself. Finally, were the most recent additions, the stone around the characters still rough from the carving, including a new name that Kakashi still found himself reading with more than a touch of disbelief: Sarutobi Asuma.

 _Hm… when had Tsunade's sparrow summoned him? Twenty minutes ago… or was it thirty?_ He was late again, but that was certain not to be a surprise. He'd think up some sort of cock-and-bull excuse on his way over, as was his custom.

Grey eye drifting away from Asuma's name, Kakashi steered his mind back to his present circumstances and began the familiar walk from the Training Grounds to the Hokage's Tower. Since returning from Oto, he'd had one further assignment: A trivial, B-rank scouting mission to the Land of Tea that took all of three days to complete. This was likely another such summons... although, it was _also_ possible that it was something more, particularly given the early hour and the day of the week (for a shinobi's work was never done, but the Hokage did try to respect the weekend when assigning new, noncritical missions). And if it _was_ more than just a run-of-the-mill assignment, he had a pretty good idea of what he was being hauled in for. The Uchiha brothers had been missing for two weeks, but they were liable to turn up sooner or later. Given that he was one of the few in Konoha who knew the truth about Itachi and his presumably failed Sasuke retrieval mission, it seemed likely that Tsunade would keep him in the loop.

His suspicions that something significant and Uchiha related was afoot increased most of the way to his destination when he spotted Sakura's familiar head of cheery pink hair bobbing along forty or so feet ahead of him, turning into the front courtyard of the Hokage's domain. Studying her slender figure, he easily noticed the seeming weight on her shoulders, subtly revealing the degree of stress under which she suffered.

Over the past two weeks, his onetime student had done an admirable job of attempting to behave like nothing was the matter. But he knew better. Perhaps it came from the experience of serving as her _sensei_ when she'd still been a hot-heated preteen, from the fact that he too had been guilty of the same tactics, or from the more… _adult_ way he felt about her these days, but it was impossible for Kakashi _not_ to notice that Sakura had been going through the motions of life in the village, an empty shell of her true self. And Tsunade, to her credit, seemed to recognize it too. Quite fortunately, she hadn't actually _said_ anything to him about Sakura's current mental state, but the very fact that Team 7 had gone fourteen days straight without even the whiff of a mission implied that she was quietly keeping one of them grounded. Given the circumstances, it was pretty damn easy to guess whom.

Kakashi passed through the cool, dark entrance of the building and mounted the familiar stairway to the Hokage's office, taking the steps two at a time so as to close the gap between himself and Sakura. He'd intentionally kept his distance while they were outside, having sensed that she could use some time alone and not entirely trusting himself one-on-one with her these days in a protracted conversation. Given that they'd almost arrived at their final destination, he might as well reveal his presence. Besides, there was just something about catching her off guard that was so… _pleasing._

As Sakura reached the top of the landing, Kakashi shunshinned the rest of the way up the stairwell and down the hall, stopping just in front of the office door to the muted displeasure of the pair of ANBU standing guard. "Stork-san, Bear-san, Sakura-chan," he commented goodnaturedly by way of a greeting, inclining his head first to the guards and then to the startled kunoichi, who stopped before him, hands resting on her shapely hips.

Clearly unaware that she'd been followed (tracking never had been her strong suit), Sakura gave him a "sunny" smile that failed to warm her usually lively green eyes. "Kaka-sensei! I didn't realize _Shishou_ summoned you as well. You're not even late!"

At that, Kakashi smiled, willfully ignoring the fakeness of her attitude and the small-talky nature of her comment in deference to her privacy. Following Sakura's abduction, he'd admittedly stuck his nose quite far into her business out of what had turned out to be a well-founded concern that something of importance was up. Now, however, with the whole Uchiha conundrum out in the open, he saw no reason to repeat that bit of awkwardness. After all, given how he felt about Sakura these days, such involvement could prove extremely uncomfortable if it got out of hand, even if the lecherous side of his brain whispered that getting closer to the kunoichi was a very good idea indeed. "Mah, Sakura-chan. Careful with those assumptions. I suspect that you were actually supposed to be Tsunade-sama's _second_ appointment of the morning. You see, her sparrow interrupted my morning grooming routine well over an hour ago..."

Sakura giggled, the bit of life that actually reached her eyes giving them a rather alluring sparkle that he couldn't help but admire. "You know, _sensei_ , given the state of your hair, you're going to have to work a bit harder than _that_ to convince me that you even glanced at a mirror this morning."

"Ah, there you go making assumptions again," he tutted teasingly, really getting into the banter now despite the awareness that the ANBU guards before them were probably rolling their eyes behind their porcelain masks. It wasn't exactly the first time he'd made a fool of himself to humor a pretty woman, after all. "I never said _who_ I'd been grooming, now did I?"

A pink flush spread rather pleasantly over her cheeks, and Kakashi smirked beneath his mask at how his words had been misconstrued. _That time, it hadn't even been_ intentional. _M_ _ind out of the gutter, Sakura-chan_. Dropping his voice to a lower pitch and right eyebrow cocking up in bemusement, he added rather roguishly, "You _know_ , Pakkun always demands _at least_ a hundred brushstrokes. _And,_ he won't even deign to look me in the eye while I'm doing it, the little minx..."

" _Sensei_! Really!"

"Yes, really. And don't get me started on Bull's procliv -"

An exceedingly heavy sigh drift out from behind the closed door to the Hokage's office, and Sakura snapped immediately to attention, delicate blush fading all too quickly from her face. "If you're done with… whatever _the hell_ you're doing out there, we've got business to discuss," the decidedly peevish voice of the Godaime called out. "Contrary to popular belief, your summonses were not intended to be social calls."

 _Well, that confirmed that this was more than another B-rank briefing._ Giving what he hoped was a reassuring nod to the suddenly serious woman before him, Kakashi pushed open the door, holding it ajar with him right hand. "Kunoichis first! After you, Sakura-chan."

* * *

As Sakura entered the familiar office of her _Shishou_ , her eyes ran immediately to the woman's face. Tsunade looked… _terrible_ , actually. Well, as bad as a woman who perpetually kept the henge of a buxom twenty-something in place _could_ look. Her usually tidy hair was mussed, dark circles underlined her honey eyes, her full lower lip looked raw from being worried, and her broad shoulders looked decidedly weighty as she sat behind her desk, pale hands clasped beneath her chin. If Tsunade were anyone else, Sakura would have guessed that she was suffering the price of having been up all night drinking (which was probably true, actually, given her _Shishou's_ reputation), but being a world-class medic and a legendary sake fan, the woman was well-versed in all sorts of hangover cures, which meant that her current state was rather concerningly the result of something else.

Sparing a moment to glance to her right, Sakura noticed Kakashi shifting his weight slightly from one foot to the other, right hand scratching the back of his head in mock casualness. Despite his seeming lack of care, she could see his grey eye watching the woman before them closely. "Hokage-sama, to what pleasure do we owe this early morning summons?" he asked in a voice that was even and steady as ever, yet surprisingly gentle in its tone.

"Cut the formality, Kakashi, I've already got quite enough of a headache," Tsunade replied rather harshly. "Not that I'm _surprised_ by the tardiness, but this was supposed to be _two_ one-on-one meetings, you know."

 _Hm.. yes, she was definitely in one of her moods. Not that sensei hadn't earned the scolding._ Kakashi opened his mouth to speak - _probably something vaguely snarky about being more than happy to wait outside with his book_ \- but the blonde waved her left hand dismissively. "It's no matter. What I've got to say is really for both of your ears." Her gaze drifted from Kakashi to rest on Sakura, leaving the girl with the familiar impression that her thoughts were undergoing an X-ray examination. "You'll be interested to hear that we've determined the Uchihas' whereabouts."

At that, Sakura's heart leapt into her throat, making it suddenly quite hard to breathe. _At last!_ "They're both _alive_ , then? Are they all right? _Where_ are they? Did Itachi-san reach out to Jiraiya-sama?" The questions fell from her mouth all at once. It was a breach of protocol, but, very fortunately, neither of her mentors had ever particularly cared about that.

A rather pained look crossed Tsunade's face, and she nibbled stridently on her lacquered left thumbnail, lively eyes suddenly turning distant as they drifted to fix on a point on the far wall, somewhere slightly above Sakura's left ear. "Jiraiya… has gone _missing_ , actually," she replied slowly, sounding, for once, every bit of her age. "The last time he was in touch was that same morning you came running to my office about the elder Uchiha brat, as it happens."

 _Oh. OH._ As far as she knew, Jiraiya had never gone missing before. That sounded extremely serious, not to mention personally devastating for her mistress. Fortunately, Kakashi spared Sakura the effort of coming up with a response, his curiosity evidently getting the better of him. "Jiraiya-sama is on an undercover mission, neh? Perhaps he's simply deep in enemy territory?"

"Hmph, it _is_ an S-class assignment," Tsunade confirmed shortly, tone clipped in a manner that suggested that she was doing her damnedest to keep some modicum of a handle on herself. She gave Kakashi a rather knowing glance, and Sakura was left with the distinct impression that her _sensei_ was more looped into classified affairs than she'd realized these days. It was an interesting thought given that her _Shishou_ had been dropping hints lately about all the gambling she intended to do once her time as Hokage was over and done with. _Kakashi_ would _make a fine Hokage... if his assistant could figure out a mind-altering jutsu that compelled him to be on time._..

But there was no time for such silliness. Kakashi spoke again, and his next question left Sakura positively wide-eyed with shock. "You don't think his disappearance has anything to do with the Uchiha…?"

Tsunade shook her head dismissively. "Not a bad thought, but very unlikely given that Uchiha Itachi was in the village for a full week after Jiraiya left town. _And_ given what they're both up to now."

Sakura's relief at her _Shishou's_ muted defense of the Uchiha brothers faded in the wake of the steely resolve that had come over the older woman's face. _Oh, the pain in those honey brown eyes… they promised nothing but misery._ " _Shishou_ …?"

Tsunade sighed heavily, licked her lips, and slowly began to speak, the words weighing heavily on her tongue. " _Sakura_. This isn't going to be pretty, but I'm going to cut to the chase and give you the uncensored facts. Pardon my language, but given all the shit you've been put through, you _deserve_ to hear this, classified or not." She sighed heavily, fists clenched on her desk in what appeared to be anger. "Uchiha Itachi has rejoined the Akatsuki. And it appears that he has taken Sasuke as his new partner. We received intelligence early this morning from Iwa - straight from the Tsuchikage himself - that the Five Tails was captured two days ago. According to several Iwa ANBU who attempted to pursue the attackers, the Uchiha brothers were present for the kidnapping, backing up an Akatsuki missing nin they identified as coming from their own village and a second from Kiri. Itachi incapacitated several of their number with _Tsukuyomi_ , while Sasuke stunned another with a modified version of _Chidori_. It seems that the brat kept himself quite busy in Oto making some updates to that signature jutsu of yours, Hatake," she added bitterly with a sideways glance at Kakashi. "I understand _why_ you taught it to him at the time, of course. What else were you _supposed_ to do with a power-hungry preteen growing increasingly frustrated with his rate of progression under Konoha's auspices? That being said, seeing _your jutsu_ used in such a way - not to mention the waste of talent - well, it truly is a pity…"

 _What? No!_ Sakura's lips fell open in protest, body practically trembling from the wave of shock that hit her. _It couldn't be true… it just couldn't! After everything Itachi had said… everything that had transpired… everything he'd_ promised… _it didn't make any sense! And Sasuke…._ She could feel her heart breaking anew. _It was a given that his time in Oto had changed him. But he would_ never _join an organization whose primary goals included the destruction of their village and the extinction of Naruto… would he?_

Too lost in her thoughts to even begin to form some sort of response or defense, Sakura was immensely relieved when Kakashi cut in. To her great surprise, his tone was also somewhat skeptical. "Tsunade-sama, meaning no disrespect, but Iwa hasn't exactly been our strongest ally in the past. As for the Tsuchikage… well… are we able to take him at his word? These are serious accusations..."

The Hokage pursed her lips, nodding in agreement. "I had that thought too, and if it were anything _but_ a Tailed Beast, I would agree with your hesitancy. Right now, however, because of how actively the Akatsuki have been targeting _jinchuuriki_ , all of the major villages are on the same page and have agreed to keep the lines of communication regarding their security open and honest. I'm afraid that we have no choice but to take the crotchety old bastard at his word."

At that, Kakashi bowed his head, and Sakura felt the breath leave her lungs at the realization that he agreed with her _Shishou's_ assessment. _Once again, she was all alone in her support of Itachi. And this time, Sasuke too was being assigned the same label of "traitor."_ She could feel angry, bitter tears threatening to leak from her eyes, but she fought them back, not wishing to give in to the weakness of her emotions. _Could her Shishou and her sensei be right?_ The accusations against the Uchiha brothers were quite serious and from a source that both of her mentors apparently trusted. Moreover, Sakura couldn't deny that the news awakened chilling thoughts that had drifted off and on through her subconscious over the past week. _Itachi hadn't ever responded to her crow. Was_ this _why? Because he'd achieved his true purpose and needed nothing more from Konoha… from her? Had everything - the kindness, the truth behind the Massacre, his desire to save Sasuke, the jutsus he'd shared with her, their lovemaking - been nothing more than an extremely elaborate ruse designed to gain her trust?_ It seemed absurd to even _think_ it given all that had transpired. Then again... she had been warned that Itachi was a brilliantly manipulative man multiple times and, as a kunoichi, was far too aware that sex and kindness were some of the most powerful weapons of deceit.

 _The truth was growing far too murky. It hurt like hell to admit it… but perhaps she_ had _been misled._

And so, it was with a heavy, defeated heart and a mind too numb to protest that she listened blankly to Tsunade's next words. "It pains me to say this, but we must accept that the Uchiha brothers have made their choice. Given their actions, we can do nothing but put an end to all search and rescue operations. Until we have evidence to the contrary, I hereby declare Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke missing-nin and sworn enemies of Konoha."


	27. The Wreckage

_[AN: Gah, was this chapter challenging to pull together. I find Kakashi one of the trickier characters to get right... I guess that dang mask really does make him an enigma! I know there's been a lot of dialogue what with this chapter and the last (and throughout this story, if I'm being honest). I personally find heart-to-hearts interesting to read (and, selfishly, write)... hopefully, it isn't too much! No spoilers, but there's lots more action to come for those growing tired of the introspection. Thank you as always for the follows, favorites, and feedback! As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 27: The Wreckage**

September was usually one of Kakashi's favorite times to be in Konoha. The temperature began cooling off from the heat of the summer, resulting in still-warm days and refreshingly cool nights. The leaves showed glimpses of the colors that erupted in October, the vibrant greens of the forest surrounding the village joined by hints of yellows and oranges. And the weather itself was usually ideal, featuring soaring blue skies, low humidity, and relatively little rain. Yet, this particular morning, as he passed through the familiar gates, setting a course for Tsunade's office after a week on a diplomatic mission to Suna, Kakashi found his mind restless and his heart heavy. For a certain pink-haired kunoichi had been a near constant in his thoughts during his time away from Konoha, and his return only heightened the concerns haunting his consciousness.

Sakura had not taken her mistress's pronouncement, seventeen days ago now, that the Uchiha were enemies of the village, well, although she did an admirable job of keeping her grief private. Unlike her blonde teammate, who would probably rant and rave when he finally found out about Sasuke's official blacklisting - fortunately for them all, Naruto remained ensconced at Mount Myoboku for the time being - her reaction to the news had been silent, understated, and intensely self-contained, a testament to her newfound maturity. Immediately following Tsunade's declaration, she'd calmly averted her gaze and asked to be dismissed, obediently nodding at her mistress's recommendation that she take some time off from her work at the hospital. At the Godaime's request, Kakashi had kept half an eye on her for the next week, up until his trip to Suna, his wariness regarding her mental state growing as the days passed and the kunoichi showed no sign of emerging. He'd considered paying her a visit the night before his departure for Wind Country, but a host of points had stopped him: his conviction that it was usually best to allow those in mourning privacy and space, his skepticism regarding what good _he_ could possibly do (for, to his great chagrin, he'd really never been very good at helping Sakura with much of anything), and an admittedly cowardly awareness that he cared about his former student in a manner that was in no way, shape, or form appropriate and that giving off even a hint of his feelings when she was already emotionally ragged was a very bad idea indeed.

Now, as he mounted the familiar stairs to the Godaime's office, Kakashi dearly hoped that something had changed in his absence, that Sakura had miraculously decided to no longer give a damn about anything and everything Uchiha related and returned to her usual, cheery self. _It was wishful thinking at its finest and utter absurdity._ For he knew from personal experience that bouncing back from heartbreak of the kind that his former student had been subjected to - the stinging pain of deep-seated betrayal - was not liable to occur overnight, or possibly ever, for that matter.

Reaching the door, Kakashi proffered a quick nod to the ANBU guards and a vague hello to Shizune, who confirmed that Tsunade was expecting him. Hands in his pockets, he slouched through the entryway, coming to stand at his usual spot in the center of the room and giving the blonde seated before him his typical lazy salute. Her honey eyes immediately shot up from whatever mission scroll she was perusing, pinks lips pressed together in thought. As he quickly scanned her face, Kakashi couldn't help but notice the subtle lines beneath her eyes, the only visible sign of how fully she worked herself to the bone. It was a common joke amongst some of the less charitable jounin that Shizune was the true force behind the Hokage's desk, but Kakashi knew that to be pure drivel. Over the past few months, as Tsunade had exposed him more fully to her activities and responsibilities, he'd gained a new appreciation of how hard a worker the woman truly was, her reputation for drinking and gambling notwithstanding, not to mention a healthy fear of how much effort being Hokage truly entailed. _Yes, Naruto was in for quite the shock if/when he achieved his dream._

"Ah, Hatake. Welcome back to Konoha. How was Suna?"

 _All business. That was fine by him._ "Sweltering as usual... Gaara and his siblings send their regards. As we'd anticipated, they were able to strongarm their High Council into signing the multiyear intelligence agreement you'd tasked me with procuring. I believe you should be receiving the documentation directly from their office in the next day or two, if it hasn't already arrived. Kankuro-san had said something about sending it express… hoping to avoid any last-minute changes of heart on the part of their Elders was how he'd put it."

Tsunade nodded vaguely, shuffling around a few of the many scrolls littering her desk. "Very wise. We received the agreement yesterday. It's somewhere… around... here…. Yes? No. Damn it." Setting down the offending paper in abandonment her search, she pouted down at the mess she'd created. "No matter. I'll have to ask Shizune to find it later. Anything else of interest to report from the trip?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Not really. Unless you're interested in teenage gossip regarding one of your junior attaches and the Kazekage's sister. But I suspect you have bigger fish to fry, neh?" Tsunade raised a quasi-bemused eyebrow in seeming confirmation, and the Copy Ninja opted to switch gears, getting to the heart of what was truly on his mind now that the formalities of his debriefing were over and done with. "But enough about Suna for the time being. Have there been any... _developments_ closer to home?"

At that, the Hokage sighed heavily, full lips falling into a rather depressing frown. "Nothing on the Uchiha front, but you're really asking about Sakura, I presume," she replied rather softly, the pained look in her eyes wordlessly communicating that nothing had in fact changed regarding their mutual student's status. "She's been on leave from the hospital as of two Sundays ago, and I haven't had the heart to hold her to any of her other responsibilities. Shizune and I have both been to see her on several occasions. I let her know about counseling options - not that she wasn't already aware - but the stubborn girl insisted that she was _fine_. I've put Yamanaka Ino up to paying her daily visits, but it hasn't been working… she's willing to _take_ visitors now, which is a definite improvement from last week, but she's distant as ever." She brushed a tendril of hair that had fallen across her pale face back distractedly. "I'm more-or-less at my wit's end, Kakashi. I _think_ she believes it - that we were all apparently taken in by the manipulative bastard, I mean - but, as you well know, belief is a very different thing from _acceptance_ , and she's got a long road ahead of her before she's anything close to _fine_."

"Mm…." Kakashi scratched the back of his head somewhat distractedly. _Well, that was… not good. Expected, but definitely not what he'd been hoping to hear._ "I don't suppose you've had any word on when Naruto will be back? He has always had a knack for cheering Sakura-chan up." _And annoying the hell out of her, but that came with the vibrant orange territory._

"Not a clue," Tsunade replied morosely, frown deepening. _Poor woman_. "I know a bit about Sage Mode training, of course - Kami, did it make Jiraiya _miserable_ back in the day - but I'm sure as hell no expert. And with Jiraiya MIA, well… I certainly don't want to inadvertently interrupt at a critical time in the process. It's important for the boy's development as a shinobi, not to mention his relationship with the Kyuubi. _And,_ given how active the Akatsuki have been lately, Mount Myoboku is probably the safest place for him." A sudden spark flashed through her amber eyes, and she gazed on Kakashi with renewed focus, nibbling on what appeared to be a hangnail. "Although… you do bring up an interesting point, Kakashi."

"Do I?" _Oh fuck. Hopefully this wasn't headed where he thought it was..._

"Always so coy. Naruto isn't the only one still loyal to Konoha who shares a Team 7 bond, you know. I know you just got back, but perhaps you could consider paying your favorite ex-student a visit."

 _Oh fuck was right. That was_ exactly _what he_ hadn't _wanted her to say_. Now, Kakashi dearly wished to see Sakura pull through this particular episode, to come out the other side of the mess that Uchiha Sasuke had started and Uchiha Itachi had so thoroughly complicated a stronger, wiser kunoichi. But Tsunade's suggestion that _he_ be the one to jump in and pull her out of it… well, it was a _terrible_ idea. For, beneath his mask, behind his veneer of airy nonchalance and occasional absurdity, was a raw, still somewhat broken man with more than his fair share of demons. As long as his role in Sakura's life was strictly defined as that of _sensei_ or _taichou_ and he retained that requisite professional distance, he was confident that he could keep those greedy thoughts that seized him seemingly every time he was in the woman's company firmly suppressed. But the minute things turned _emotional_ , the minute that she let him in and he was "just Kakashi," well, all promises of keeping his attraction to himself were off. And he couldn't do that to Sakura. _He wouldn't. Not when she was vulnerable. Not after all that Itachi had put her through._

* * *

As she sat behind her infuriatingly messy desk - no matter what she did, the paperwork just kept piling up - Tsunade found herself decidedly flummoxed. All she'd suggested was that Kakashi consider a _tete-a-tete_ with one of his former students and current reports, and suddenly his brow was furrowing like she'd asked him to develop some new, S-class jutsu. She was aware that he usually avoided emotional entanglements and had always kept Sakura a bit at arm's length, but, surely, given the circumstances, he could get over that minor aversion?

Wishing to get the show on the road, she raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the Copy Ninja, who coughed dryly and scratched the back of his head once again in what she recognized as his nervous tic. "Just _talk_ to her, Hatake. It's not that hard. I'm sure you've had lots of one-on-one conversations with Sakura before."

"Ah…"

 _Damn it. And here, she thought she'd never have to deal with monosyllabic retorts again with the Uchiha having forsaken Konoha for good._ Tsunade rolled her eyes, stunningly unimpressed by Kakashi's sudden lack of spine and not really in the mood for the little pep talk that was apparently necessary. _Why were so many otherwise capable shinobi emotionally children?_ "Look, Hatake. I know _all_ about your history. I've read your records, including the censored ANBU crap. Talking about feelings might not be easy or _pleasant_ , but Sakura _needs_ you right now. I've tried, Yamanaka Ino's tried, Shizune's tried. We even sent _Sai_ in there for Kami's sake. But it's not going to be the same as someone who's been there since the beginning of her career… who _knows_ her and both of the Uchiha brothers like you do…"

There was a strange look in his visible eye now... a vaguely feral, slightly panicky shine that was decidedly out of place given his usual even-keel nature. It was rather unsettling, actually. _Hatake had been through a lot over the course of his career. Was this it? Was the great Copy Ninja finally cracking?_ All talented shinobi seemed to at some point… her decades-long phobia of blood stood in rather embarrassing testament to that fact. But to think that the prospect of having a heart-to-heart with a pink-haired eighteen year old who was once his student was the thing to set him off… well, she never would have guessed it.

Kakashi swallowed hard enough that she could hear it from across the room, shifting slightly on his feet. Then, _finally_ , he spoke. "Tsunade-sama, do not misunderstand me. I care deeply for Sakura-chan, and I take my responsibilities as her former _sensei_ and current _taichou_ seriously. It is for these very reasons, actually, that I find myself hesitating to assist her now. If I were to do as you instructed - to speak with Sakura on the level that you are proposing - I _cannot_ promise that I will be able to maintain the... _distance_ that is expected of me as her superior."

For a moment, Tsunade almost laughed, blown away by the completely deadpan manner in which he'd delivered what had to be one of his most far-fetched excuses ever. But one look at his positively tortured expression chased away all mirth. _He was serious. Well, now. That was_ not _what she'd expected_. _Although... perhaps she should have._ She hadn't known the girl particularly well - there was a generational gap, after all, and she _had_ been a little busy during the Third Shinobi War - but from what she'd heard of Nohara Rin's personality, there were definitely certain parallels with Sakura. _Minato had always been a bit concerned about the little love triangle shaping up on his genin team._ Tsunade sat up slightly straighter in her chair, hands that had been idly rustling a few of the papers on the desk falling flat. "I… _see_. And for how long…?"

Kakashi sighed long and low, running his right hand distractedly through his silver locks. "A few months. Off and on at first, but more on of late. The whole business with Uchiha Itachi seemed to... intensify the attraction."

 _Ha. Of course it had. Poor, jealous bastard._ Tsunade resisted the urge to scoff at the unapologetic maleness of his confession. For it was exceedingly clear from the blush creeping over the edge of his mask that Kakashi was not at all comfortable with his apparently less-than-platonic feelings for Sakura. _Nor should he be_. There might not be a hard-and-fast rule again relations between former instructions and their students, but such fraternization was most definitely frowned upon and almost never done. Indeed, the only confirmed relationship of that ilk that Tsunade knew of was the decidedly icky affair between Orochimaru and Mitarashi Anko (which _had_ actually been forbidden given that her lovely ex-teammate had been the girl's _current_ _sensei_ at the time). As Anko's current medic, she knew far too well how _that_ had ended.

Moreover, even if one were willing to look past the "he was once her _sensei_ " thing, there was also the somewhat significant age gap. Sakura had been eighteen for over half a year now, and shinobi tended to be a bit less concerned about such discrepancies than their civilian counterparts given how quickly their careers required them to grow up. But that wouldn't stop tongues from wagging about how long things had gone on before the attraction became public knowledge (if it ever got out), which wasn't _really_ a fate that Sakura deserved to experience. Particularly not after the Uchiha debacle.

And there was the fact that Kakashi was Sakura's current _taichou_. That was the point that actually made any sort of canoodling against the shinobi rules (rule #62, if she was remembering correctly). _Although_... that one was really more of a _suggestion_ , at least in her opinion. Hell, Tsunade herself had been guilty of a red-hot affair with a former _taichou_ at the tender age of nineteen. It hadn't done her any harm, and she'd certainly enjoyed the experience of being with a more... _mature_ man at the time, not to mention the thrill of sneaking around with an authority figure behind poor old Sarutobi-sama's back. _And, oh, Kami, had Nara Shintaro's torso been stunning..._

But she was getting sidetracked. Kakashi's confession demanded a well thought out response, and, given the delicacy of the situation, her undivided attention was required. Tsunade's index and middle fingers came to her temples, massaging slightly as she released a bit of soothing chakra. _What a headache this was turning out to be._ She felt _bad_ for Kakashi given his history. Moreover, the fact that he'd apparently been forced to sit ringside for a solid week while a rumored former flame - although she really doubted that he and Itachi were ever actually involved given how young the dratted Uchiha had been at the time - romanced his current interest certainly didn't help matters. On the other hand, Sakura's current situation couldn't be ignored either, and the kunoichi was in a far more precarious mental place than he.

Beadily eyeing the jounin before her, Tsunade wet her lips, aware that he was awaiting her response with bated breath. "Well, Kakashi, I appreciate you being straight with me on this. I don't think it will surprise you to hear that many men in your particular situation would _not_ be so forthright." His shoulders slumped slightly in relief, and Tsunade's guilt multiplied as she charged onward. "That being said... I'm afraid that I _cannot_ allow you to wiggle out of this particular assignment. I expect you to speak with Sakura _today_. Someone needs to get through to her, and I'm afraid you're the best hope we've got, emotionally compromised or not."

With that proclamation, a heavy silence fell over the room. For several moments, Kakashi looked almost as if he intended to say something, but then he bowed his head in what she presumed was defeated acceptance. Slowly raising his gaze from the floor, he met her eyes, and Tsunade was heartened by the resolve that she saw there. _Hm… perhaps this would work itself out, after all._ She was taking a bit of gamble, but, for once, the odds might very well be in her favor. At the very least, unlike certain Uchiha bastards, Kakashi was not the type to manipulate. Even if he made his feelings known, she was confident that the kunai would firmly be in Sakura's grasp. And if the girl decided to return his affections? Well, there were certainly worse things - and men - out there than Hatake Kakashi, scars and all. Perhaps she'd read too many of Jiraiya's bad drafts, but it _even_ seemed possible that her apprentice and Kakashi could be good for each other.

* * *

It was late. Probably half past eleven, judging from the slope of the moon over the Hokage mountain. The kunoichi sat on her little bed by the window, back propped up against her pillows, pale hands clutching a warm mug of her favorite jasmine tea, legs partly extended before her so that her knees were more or less in line with her shoulders, and face tilted up and out towards the night sky, lost in her thoughts.

 _Another day gone and still nothing._ The silence didn't come as a surprise anymore - in truth, it hadn't since that wretched Sunday morning briefing in her _Shishou's_ office slightly over two weeks ago - but that didn't mean that it hurt any less. Nevertheless, just like her blonde-haired teammate, Haruno Sakura had never been a quitter. And so, despite the intelligence, despite what she knew without a shred of doubt was the ugly, bitter truth, she still found herself hoping. Hoping that this was all a part of Itachi's grand plan that he most unfortunately _hadn't_ been able to warn her about. That the brothers were simply playing a role and were actually for Konoha this entire time. That tonight was the night that they'd return to the village, to be by her side, to swear that they'd never leave her or hurt her or deceive her again.

But that was pure and utter fantasy, loath as she was to admit it. This - her lonely little flat with its mess of unwashed dishes and towering pile of dirty laundry that she couldn't quite summon the energy to get to - was her reality. And, rationally speaking, Sakura knew it was well past time to give up and move on. Their motives were shadowy - they probably always would be - but it was clear that Itachi _and_ Sasuke had made their choice… and their fates did _not_ involve her. They'd been caught just about as red-handed as one could get: in the company of two other notorious members of the Akatsuki, midway through the heartless abduction of a _jinchuuriki_ , and actively _attacking_ Iwa ANBU. What further evidence could she ask for?

A slow, steady knock on her door jolted Sakura out of the morose reverie into which she'd fallen. _Could it be? Was it him? Them? Oh, please, Kami, let it be them._ Barefoot and clad in her silky pink pajamas, the kunoichi bounded off of the bed, darting across the room and cracking the door halfway open, heart beating wildly in her chest and green eyes wide with anticipation.

But, of course, it wasn't. She'd known that all along. Surprisingly, however, it wasn't any of her usual visitors, either. Instead, it was Kakashi. And he looked somewhat nervous to see her. _Well, as nervous as a man who covered a good three-quarters of his face with a mask all the time could look._ Which wasn't exactly a surprise… everyone walked on eggshells around her these days, even Tsunade herself.

Sakura's shoulders slumped, the corners of her mouth falling from the subtle upturn that it had far too hopefully assumed to a straight line. " _Sensei_. What are you doing here? It's late, you know."

Kakashi's grey eye crinkled, a telltale sign that he was smiling beneath his mask. "Good to see you too, Sakura-chan. _Is_ it late? You know, I got so lost in the stars that I failed to notice. I was out for an evening stroll, realized that I'd wandered over to your neighborhood, and thought I'd drop by. See how my favorite ex-student is faring."

His tone was soft, steady, and gentle, a strangely authoritative combination that was also surprisingly soothing. If she'd been asked prior to the knock if she wanted visitors, Sakura would have politely yet forcefully demurred. Yet now that Kakashi's tall, lean figure stood in her doorway, she found herself not actually minding the intrusion. _What was that old expression? Misery loves company?_ She pushed the door open a bit wider, stepping back slightly to give him room to enter. "Would you like to come in? I was just having some tea before bed. Jasmine."

"Ah, an old favorite of mine. Why not? Just for a few minutes… don't want to disturb your beauty rest." Shucking off his sandals to rest beside hers, he shut the door behind him and proceeded to settle into his usual seat at her rickety wooden table by the kitchen nook.

Crossing to the stove, Sakura set about making a fresh pot, grateful for the mindlessness of the task. Turning to the table a few minutes later with a steaming blue mug, she proffered it to him with a small smile, settling into the chair across from him. _Itachi's chair. But she wasn't supposed to have those thoughts anymore._ She took a sip of her own lukewarm beverage, mind grasping for something, _anything_ to talk about. _Besides them._ "You were out of the village this past week, neh, _sensei_? On one of her visits, _Shishou_ said something about a diplomatic mission to Suna."

"Hai," the Copy Ninja agreed, slowly setting his mug down on the table to eye her rather thoughtfully. "I was tasked with negotiating an intelligence treaty with the Kazekage. Ever since Gaara's ascension, Suna has been one of our strongest allies. As such, Tsunade-sama thought the time was ripe for an extended agreement. A few of their old guard were less than favorably disposed to the offer - and to me, truth be told - but Gaara and his siblings hold too much clout these days for the opposition to really have a chance of prevailing. And, of course, Ebizo-sama's vote of confidence didn't exactly hurt either."

Sakura nodded, pleased to have the conversation firmly fixated on a subject other than her. Ino, Shizune, and Tsunade all meant well with their visits over the past two weeks, but being repeatedly urged to talk about how she was feeling… what she was thinking… well, it was _exhausting_. "You're becoming quite well traveled, Kaka-sensei," she observed. "Suna this past week… Kumo two months ago… Kiri this past spring…"

"And more recently, Oto," Kakashi added, nodding in agreement. "Although... that assignment was admittedly quite… _different_ than the others." His gaze drifted with slow, steady intent over her face, and Sakura resisted the urge to look away, willing herself to remain calm despite the trembling of the hands wound around her mug. _Of course. Just when she was starting to feel a little better, a little_ normal _, he changed the subject. Why had she thought he would be any different?_ "Sakura…"

"What? Please, _sensei_ , not you _too_." Kakashi flinched slightly at the rebuke, and Sakura felt her cheeks color in vague embarrassment for snapping at him. She didn't mean for it to come out so harshly, but she couldn't help it. It was starting to feel like the entire village was out to get her, to make her come to terms with everything that had transpired, everything she didn't want to have to think about, when she just wanted to be left alone.

An uncomfortable silence fell, the only sounds in the apartment the soft sipping of tea (she couldn't even bring herself to try and catch him with his mask down) and the quiet thud of their mugs returning periodically to the table. Then, came his voice, even gentler than before. "Sakura…"

 _He was trying again._ Perhaps it was because she was aware that she'd been rather rude the first time, because she was curious what he could possibly say to ease her pain, or maybe just because it was _Kaka-sensei_ , but, this time, she let him continue, glancing up to meet his somewhat apologetic gaze. "I wanted to say… I do understand what you're going through. Some of it, at least."

 _He understood. Sure. Statements like that were exactly why she_ hadn't _wanted to talk to anyone about this._ Deep inside, Sakura felt something that had been building for the past two weeks snap. And then the blood was rushing to her cheeks, all the frustration and the anger and the guilt and the _humiliation_ pouring out in a spew of vitriol. "You understand. How _could_ you understand, _sensei_? Have you been kidnapped… _seduced_ by Uchiha Itachi? Fallen for a liar who so completely took you in that you came to doubt even the goodness of Konoha itself? Who promised you the moon… made you believe that one of your deepest wishes would come true... took _everything_ you could give... your trust… your tears… your _innocence._ Only to find that you'd been manipulated... _used_ like a pawn on a Shogi board with the seeming purpose of seizing and corrupting _exactly_ who you loved?"

Her _sensei_ didn't deserve it - practically speaking, she knew that he was only _trying_ to help - but the floodgates had opened, and she didn't have a prayer of controlling them. Sakura took a deep breath, preparing to dive back in for more, but Kakashi was too quick for her, seamlessly cutting in with that same steady tone she remembered from her genin days. But this time, the words were far more than an empty promise to make things better. "Sakura-chan, I believe I cautioned you a couple of weeks ago about being careful with your assumptions, neh? Contrary to what you may believe, you are _not_ the first to have fallen for Uchiha-san's long, dark lashes and twisted mind games. Although I have, admittedly, never been kidnapped."

 _Wait. Itachi had deceived_ and _seduced… Kakashi?_ Sakura had gleaned from Itachi's time in Konoha that he and her _sensei_ had a bit of a history, and it had been crystal clear from their interactions in her apartment that they did not get along. But never in a million years had she expected _this_. She blinked a few times, trying to get a handle on the seemingly shocking nature of the revelation. _How? When?_ Certainly not during Itachi's most recent stay in the village. He'd been too sick to do much of anything, let alone seduce anyone, and she'd been by his side throughout. The most likely scenario was before Itachi had left the first time… before the massacre. He'd been so young, though. Kakashi had to have at least five years on him, and he didn't seem the type to chase after someone underage. _Perhaps, during a mission?_ She knew disturbingly little about her _sensei's_ life prior to the day she became a small part of it. Elite ANBU were occasionally assigned medium- to long-term assignments, some solitary, that took them far from Konoha. Could he have been one of those operatives and somehow ended up coming into contact with Itachi during his travels?

It was a mystery, to be sure, and she was _exceedingly_ curious. But before she could formulate a follow-up question, she realized that her companion had apparently chugged the last of his tea and was rising to his feet. "Ah, well, Sakura-chan, that's probably enough for tonight," Kakashi commented rather airily, as if he hadn't just completely floored her with his Itachi revelation. "It's getting late, and, like I said, I don't want to interfere with my favorite ex-student's sleep schedule."

Sakura frowned but stood to see him out all the same. She'd long ago learned that trying to get her _sensei_ to do something he didn't feel like doing was more often than not an exercise in failure, particularly when it came to talking about his history. That being said, she most definitely wasn't giving up on this conversation thread for good. Giving Kakashi her most winsome smile, she met his gaze earnestly, noticing the way his Adam's apple bobbed beneath his mask as he swallowed somewhat uncomfortably. "Perhaps you could come visit me again tomorrow, _sensei_? We could continue this conversation."

Kakashi hummed noncommittally. "Perhaps," he agreed rather vaguely, "My schedule's pretty tied up tomorrow. But what do you say to lunch the following day? We could do Ichiraku's for old times sake, or this nice little tea shop I'm fond of if you'd prefer something lighter." Sakura nodded at the second option, and, with that, the Copy Ninja took his leave with a salute and a rather sweet little "sleep well, Sakura-chan."

Alone once again, Sakura turned back to the kitchen table, figuring that she might as well clean up the remnants of their tea and call it a night. As she collected the mugs and turned to the sink to begin tackling at least some of the dishes that she'd allowed to pile up for days now, she found her mind running over what had just transpired. The conversation with her _sensei_ had been quite strange - never before had he been so open about something from his past - and she wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. She'd known that he'd had a complicated, colorful history (most jounin did and those in ANBU even more so), but to hear him speak of it, even if it was just for a couple of minutes, was truly something else. It gave a new, rather intriguing, surprisingly _human_ dimension to the formidable Copy Ninja, and she found herself looking forward to their lunch the day after tomorrow with an eagerness she hadn't experienced in weeks. She certainly had to hand it to him. Her heart was still a raw mess, but if Kakashi's goal had been to provide a distraction from the dark, bewitching eyes that had haunted her since Oto, it had worked wonders.


	28. The Akatsuki's New Recruit

_[AN: I got a couple of questions after chapter 26 about Itachi's motives. Hopefully what follows sates your curiosity! As a reader, I know that jumping between different locales can be jarring. Unfortunately, with Sakura in one place and Itachi/Sasuke in another, this is pretty much required at the moment. I've done my best to make the timeline clear, but if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or ask directly. As usual, thanks so much for the follows, favorites, and feedback; the support is very much appreciated! This content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 28: The Akatsuki's New Recruit**

Sasuke stared into the campfire, thankful for a few minutes alone with his thoughts after the excitement of the past six weeks. Their foursome was passing the night in a clearing a half-day's travel from Amegakure, at least by Kisame's reckoning, far enough that the legendary rain for which the village was known was not quite falling, although he could feel the dampness on the air through his flimsy Oto shirt. Tomorrow morning, he and Itachi would bid good riddance to their traveling companions and depart for the city and the meeting that he had been eagerly anticipating for a good two-plus weeks now: An interview with the head of the Akatsuki himself, the mysterious Tobi.

Getting to this point had _not_ been a simple matter. For, to Sasuke's great surprise, Itachi had not been particularly keen on his proposal of joining forces with the Akatsuki when he'd first suggested it at Orochimaru's Southern Hideout. His elder brother had softly yet steadily urged him to abandon the idea, declaring the matter foolish and far more dangerous than he realized, although he was vexingly vague on specifics. But Sasuke refused to be deterred. On learning the truth about Konoha's role in his clan's slaughter, there was no way he could let the village go free, and aligning himself with the group of rogue nin was a risk he was very much willing to take if it would lead him to his desired outcome, regardless of how treacherous Itachi believed them to be. _After all, he was no weakling, and his dealings with Orochimaru had given him plenty of experience with powerful, volatile shinobi._

For several days, they'd stood at an impasse (which wasn't a shock by any stretch of the imagination; the Uchiha had always been known for their stubbornness). Then, on a dark, rainy night in a cave at the border of Waves, under the very real threat that Sasuke would seek out the Akatsuki _alone_ if Itachi was truly unwilling to join him, his brother had relented with a regretful shake of his head and a heavy sigh that had _almost_ changed his mind. A day later, they'd tracked down Itachi's previous partner, Kisame, and a loudmouthed blonde named Deidara, managed to intimidate their way into the duo's good graces (Kisame was easily won over given his surprisingly decent relationship with Itachi, while Deidara was far more wary), and, a couple of days after that, backed the rogue nin up in their take-down of the Five Tails, a mission whose purpose Sasuke didn't entirely understand (and Itachi had demurred to elaborate on) but that apparently came directly from the head of the Akatsuki himself. It was this involvement that had earned them their upcoming audience with that very man.

Glancing to his left, Sasuke took in the shadowy figure of his brother, his slimness highlighted by his loose Akatsuki robe. He sat close to the fire, his eyes shut as if meditating, his expression neutral as ever, and his spine straight with trained stiffness. A decade later, Itachi still proved himself to be the consummate shinobi of Sasuke's childhood memories: quiet, self-contained, forever hiding his true feelings behind a serene mask. But he was also different than expected, and not just because he bore no particular love for the Akatsuki. For his brother had turned out to be surprisingly gentle and oddly affectionate, with a strangely sad aura that, at times, stirred even Sasuke's hardened, bitter heart. Since joining up with Kisame and Deidara, he had keep what emotions he had expressed when they were traveling alone largely self-contained. Yet, in the first week of their time together, Itachi had left Sasuke with the distinct impression that he was an extremely principled, noble, and honest man, a revelation that only heightened his thirst for revenge on the village that had so callously used and discarded him.

A flicker of blonde across the clearing told Sasuke that Deidara had returned from whatever scouting he'd gone off to do. Glancing up, he met the man's visible blue eye, Sharingan activating more or less unbidden. From the moment he'd set eyes on the missing nin from Iwa, Sasuke had loathed him, and he'd quickly gotten the sense that the feeling was mutual. "What's this? The little Uchiha brat is still up? Must be getting towards your bedtime, un, _Sasuke-kun_?"

Sasuke ignored the taunting, accustomed to it after weeks in the blonde's company. It was all rather ludicrous seeing as Deidara couldn't be more than two or three years older than himself, and he was _fairly_ certain that he could take the man in a one-on-one match-up. Instead, now that the silence in the clearing had been broken and Itachi roused from wherever his mind had wandered, he turned to his brother and raised the point that had been on the tip of his tongue for much of the past day. "Itachi" - his brother was most definitely not "nii-san" in front of Deidara; he'd slipped up once early on and had been resoundingly mocked for it - "Tell me of Tobi."

As had grown to be typical of their group dynamic, Deidara cut in first. "Why? Is the great _Uchiha Sasuke_ scared, un?"

 _Tch. Ignore the idiot._ Turning his gaze away from the spiteful grin leering back at him and willing his eyes to deactivate, Sasuke instead turned his attention fully to Itachi, taking note of the dark shadows under his brother's eyes and the paleness of his complexion. _If he didn't know better, he'd almost think that Itachi looked ill… but he'd always been fair, and life on the run didn't exactly lend itself well to sleep._

"Tobi is… not what he seems," came the slow, methodical response. "Few have truly seen beneath his mask, even those within the Akatsuki."

At that, Deidara laughed rudely, eye flitting from Sasuke's face to Itachi's. "Thinks he's so _smart_ , un. Tobi's a fool to the core. Probably thinks his mask is _fashionable_ … like _he_ has any knowledge of style. And here, I thought you were _supposed_ to be intelligent, Itachi."

If his brother cared about the insult, he didn't deign to show it. " _Underestimating_ one's adversary is true foolishness," he murmured, dark eyes stern and serious as they trailed briefly over Deidara to rest firmly on Sasuke.

 _Was that for his own edification or Deidara's?_ If it was meant for the latter, it was a missed target, for the blonde snorted, tossing his hair in a clear statement of how he felt about that little life lesson. "I've had just about enough of you Uchiha," he commented, seemingly more to himself than to either of them, his tone surprisingly vindictive. "You think you're so _clever_ … that your _special_ eyes make you wiser than gods. I can't take it, I tell you! Where has Kisame gone off to anyway?"

Itachi gave the barest of shrugs, and Sasuke echoed the gesture, spurring the Iwa nin to let forth a stream of profanities and increasingly creative curses on the two of them, the Sharingan, and the Uchiha clan as a whole. Had it been almost anyone else, Sasuke wouldn't have stood for it, but coming from this particular man weeks into their acquaintance, the vitriol was impotent and typical enough that it was _almost_ amusing. _Just as long as the idiot left their mother out of it._ Otherwise, Deidara would shortly be finding out exactly how special a weapon the Sharingan truly was.

The rustle of leaves and a deep, booming voice ushered in their missing companion, his hulking figure striding into the clearing, with Samehada slung seemingly as always over his right shoulder. "You blonde idiot. The fuck are you hollering about? Didn't you learn _the first time_ not to mess around with Uchiha Itachi?"

Like Deidara, Sasuke had found his brother's former partner surprisingly loud and brash for a missing S-class nin. But unlike the Iwa shinobi, he didn't actually mind Kisame all that much. As he'd proven against the Five Tails, the man was undeniably dangerous - Sasuke suspected that even with his Sharingan, Kisame would be a difficult adversary - and his seemingly indiscriminate lust for violence was not something that he agreed with by any stretch of the imagination. But his approach was quite straightforward, he was seemingly loyal enough in his fashion, and his rapport with Itachi solid, making him a relatively predictable, easy enough companion to navigate.

Clearly relieved to no longer be the only non-Uchiha by the campfire, Deidara immediately turned to the new arrival. "I've got a trick or two up my sleeve now. I've developed even _finer_ art since then. And I'll show these Uchiha bastards what I'm talking about any time they feel like taking me on, un!" His blue eye narrowed slightly as he sniffed the air suspiciously. "But where exactly were you, my man? You smell like cheap perfume and booze."

Kisame shrugged, letting out a coarse laugh as his beady eyes twinkled in amusement. "That nose of yours isn't wrong. There's a whore-house in the nearest town. It's just a few miles away; you won't even need that winged contraption that you like to call art to get there. I figured I'd let you know about it once I had a chance to sample the merchandise. Couldn't have you stealing all the finest girls for yourself like back in Earth, now could I, you good-looking asshole?"

Deidara chuckled before rising to his feet, muttering something about bounties and bingo books as he began to inspect the contents of his pockets. Sasuke wasn't surprised by the coarse talk by any stretch of the imagination. After being in Deidara's and Kisame's company for weeks, the fact that they fraternized with prostitutes was only to be expected, and he'd heard far worse during his time in Orochimaru's lair. What _was_ concerning, however, was the strange, twisting desire that stirred deep within his own belly in response to the Mist nin's explanation of his whereabouts. _Hn, it had been a long time since Anzu, now that he thought about it. Several months, at least. It was imperative that he stay firmly committed to his goals. But perhaps he could consider a diversion… just for a few hours..._

 _Tch, how could he be so weak?_ Immediately disgusted with himself for even entertaining the thought of stooping to that low, Sasuke grimaced and turned his attention back to his companions. With the Iwa nin seemingly well on his way to a night of debauchery, Kisame was now grinning in bemusement at the remaining member of their party. "How about you, Itachi? Care for a little night on the town? I spotted one that seemed _exactly_ your type, if you get my drift. A leggy redhead with the biggest hazel eyes you ever did see..."

As anticipated, his brother made no indication of having even heard the question, attention focused fully on the crackling fire. Kisame cocked an eyebrow, chuckling rather crudely. "What a _saint._ Come, come! There's no need to be shy in front of your dear little brother! It shouldn't come as a surprise to him that you've _indulged_ before… he's of age, after all. _And_ , given whom he's been keeping company with the past five years, I'm _sure_ he discovered long ago that all men have certain… _needs_. Although Orochimaru's were always a bit on the... _peculiar_ side, if the rumors are to be believed."

He paused, an oddly canny look coming over his face as Itachi remained completely disinterested. "It's something else, isn't it? I know! I bet it's that little apprentice keeping you chaste. Don't want to cheat on your darling _girlfriend_ , huh? That's very _admirable_ , Itachi- _san_ , but we'll have to see how long it lasts. You might like to pretend otherwise, but you're a man like the rest of us. Sooner or later, the itch is gonna strike, and, last I heard, she was way back in K-"

Without warning, Itachi rose to his feet, red eyes swirling with the threat of his Mangekyo Sharingan and expression blank as ever yet somehow deadly. After staring down the completely stupefied Kisame, he turned his attention fully on Sasuke, who suppressed a shiver at the sight of his activated eyes and the ice cold, murderous intent rolling off of him. Even now, when he knew that his brother would never do him _real_ harm, Itachi commanded a certain amount of respect… and fear, if the truth be told.

As if sensing his discomfort, his brother's gaze softened, eyes deactivating, though he remained still and silent. The tension beginning to dissipate, Sasuke found his mind wandering over the information that Kisame had just revealed. _What was that about an apprentice? Who was also his girlfriend? Itachi had given no prior sign that there was anyone close to him, never mind a protege or a woman._ _Who was she?_ _And where were she now? Kumo? Kiri? Kusa? Surely not… Konoha?_

But it appeared that Sasuke wasn't about to find out anything more of his brother's personal affairs tonight. For Itachi was beckoning him away from the warmth of the fire, towards their meager travel packs, lips slightly upturned. "Come, Sasuke. Bed. It's getting late, and we should plan on making an early start if we wish to reach Amegakure by midday. Kisame, you can take first watch."

* * *

If there was one place that Uchiha Itachi loathed, it was Amegakure. The first time he'd visited the heavily industrialized city, soon after his induction into the Akatsuki, the high towers standing out against the steel-grey sky had made an immediate impression. Accustomed to the comparatively humble, wooden structures of the Leaf, they stood in seeming testament to the industriousness and powers of its denizens to shape and harness their environs, and Itachi had found himself rather in awe of it all. Too quickly, however, he came to see the dark side of the Village Hidden in Rain: The misery of a population largely deprived of sunlight and the joys of the natural world; the harshness of the smog-filled air that burned his lungs; and, most of all, the oppressiveness of Pein's regime itself. Left to his own devices, he tried to avoid Ame as much as he possibly could over the course of his Akatsuki career. But today, against his better judgment, he found himself returning to the village.

 _It wasn't exactly like he had much of a choice._ Over the past six weeks, since that fateful night in Oto when the structured world he had carefully planned and cultivated had collapsed, Itachi had found himself in the unfamiliar position of a follower, trailing headlong after Sasuke as he barreled steadfastly down his destructive course of revenge-fueled hatred. More than once, spurred largely by the heady memory of his time with Sakura, Itachi had considered abandoning his brother to his fate. But he couldn't do it. Not only did he love Sasuke too much to leave him, but he refused to believe that all was lost. His _otouto_ was broody, vengeful, and distant, but hidden beneath that bitterness remained the little boy he'd adored, and he could _never_ forsake him.

 _And, it was impossible to deny his own guilt in putting Sasuke on this path._ For _he_ was the one who had spared Sasuke's life the night of the Massacre; who had challenged his mentally scarred, far too impressionable little brother to pursue him; whose taunting had driven the teen into Orochimaru's clutches. Up until reconnecting with Sasuke, Itachi had told himself fervently and willfully that everything he'd done - every torture he'd forced Sasuke to undergo, every painful decision he'd made - had been for his _otouto's_ own good. But now? Now that his endgame had been so efficiently and callously diverted by the Snake Sannin, Itachi couldn't help but wonder whether it had all been worth it. _Would Sasuke - would he - have been better off dead, two more victims of the Uchiha massacre? Should he have refused the assignment?_

 _Tch. His time would be_ far _better spent on Sasuke's present… and his future._ And so, Itachi had devoted every waking moment, every ounce of his efforts since they'd departed the Land of Waves to following Sasuke, doing his damnedest to divert his impressively stubborn brother from his murderous course and ensure that he emerged from his downwards spiral alive, as mentally whole as possible, with a clean enough slate that he wouldn't end up a pariah, and unpossessed. It increasingly felt like a losing battle, but he refused to give up as long as he drew breath.

The point about keeping Sasuke unpossessed was of particular importance. For Itachi hadn't forgotten what he'd witnessed before passing out in Oto, when a portion of Orochimaru's spirit had burrowed its way into Sasuke's body through that damned Cursed Seal of Heaven. It would require a rather concerning amount of chakra and strain on his Mangekyo, but he was relatively confident that he'd be able to handle Sasuke's intruder. The chief concern was instead the timeline. Over the course of the past six weeks, there had been utterly no sign of the Snake, which led Itachi to the somewhat alarming conclusion that Orochimaru was in fact biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment - when Sasuke was at his emotional, mental, and physical weakest - to strike. Given how difficult it was to predict when exactly this would be, it was imperative that Itachi remain close by on a virtually constant basis.

And, of course, this was further complicated by the rather disturbing, but wholly unsurprising, discovery that the symptoms of his illness were returning. He'd first noticed roughly two weeks ago, while recovering from the sealing of the Five Tails. So far, the most obvious signs - the debilitating exhaustion, the coughing, the blood - had yet to manifest, permitting him the luxury of concealing his condition from Sasuke. But the tiredness, the low energy, and the chakra drain were all undeniable and promised to become quite the issue if Orochimaru held out on emerging for too long. For, given the combined facts that they were on the run and that Ame's insularity kept medical knowledge of the kind Sakura possessed firmly out of the city's grasp, there was no way he'd be seeing a trained medic for treatment anytime soon.

 _Hn… Sakura_. Itachi smiled softly to himself as the memory of bright emerald eyes, cotton candy hair, and the scent of honeysuckle wafted through his mind. For a moment, a delightful calm came over his consciousness, only to fade to deep-seated guilt seconds later. The torments he'd put Sasuke through were the greatest regret of his life, but his liaison with Sakura also weighed heavily on his conscience these days. _Perhaps it would be best to explain. But how could he?_ Even if one were to ignore the danger that such a letter would pose if intercepted (for he didn't doubt that his name remained anathema throughout the village and receiving correspondence from an S-class nin was liable to raise a few eyebrows), given Sasuke's firm insistence on destroying Konoha and his need to remain by his _otouto's_ side, there really was little to say or do. Sakura was a deeply compassionate woman who loved his brother, but would she truly understand the all-consuming nature of the hatred blackening Sasuke's actions? _No, it was best for her sake if he kept his distance. If he took the fall for his brother's decision not to return to Konoha, and she never learned the truth. That way, if Sasuke ever_ did _make his way back, there could still be some chance for him… for Sakura._ And, if he didn't, well, hopefully, the clean, seemingly heartless break would make it a little easier to move on. It seemed cruel and he _hated_ himself for it, but she would recover with time. _And the alternative - the possibility of planting some sort of false hope in her mind - was far crueler..._

A low, "nii-san?" from his left jostled Itachi from his thoughts. Somewhat grateful for the distraction, he glanced over at his brother, noticing a vague twitchiness in the movement of his palms that hinted at his nervousness. _It wasn't exactly a surprise, given whom they would soon be meeting._

"What is it, Sasuke?"

"Are we almost there?"

Despite the crushing strain that he was under, Itachi felt the corners of his mouth quirk upwards, the hesitancy and veiled impatience behind Sasuke's tone reminding him stirringly of the little boy his brother had once been. Gesturing with his right hand at the tallest of the village's buildings, Itachi nodded, gaze turning stony once more as he looked up at the Akatsuki's Ame headquarters. "Hai, Sasuke. Our final destination is just a little further up this road." Lowering his voice slightly - not that whispering did a thing against Pein's jutsu - he added, "And please remember what I said to you last night. I do not know how he will choose to reveal himself to you, but Tobi is _far more_ than he may seem."

* * *

Sasuke stood silently next to his brother in the dimly lit atrium of Ame's capitol building, eyes taking in the dark grey slate of the floor; the high, cathedral-like ceiling towering about them; and the long windows that provided what most would have considered a breathtaking view of the city. But he had neither time for nor interest in such trivial sightseeing. After weeks of cajoling his brother, it seemed that he would finally be moving forward with the next phase of his revenge on Konoha in short order, and _that_ demanded his full attention.

By his reckoning, they'd been waiting at least a half-hour now, and he found himself growing somewhat impatient. _Where was he?_ In Oto, few had dared to keep him waiting this long, and the only man who would have, Orochimaru himself, was by habit relatively prompt (when he gave any warning at all). Indeed, thinking back, he found that the last time anyone had wasted his time like this - _as if they had some sort of point to prove -_ had been before he'd defected… back in Konoha. But he didn't want to think about Kakashi or Team 7 or Konoha in that _innocent_ context anymore. _Given what was to come, he couldn't afford to soften his heart to any of it._

A sudden motion at the far end of the room caught Sasuke's attention. _At last._ The new arrival was tall and slender, swathed almost entirely in the same cloud-patterned Akatsuki robe that Itachi had on and wearing standard shinobi sandals. His hair was dark, sticking up at odd angles, and his face completely covered by an orange mask shaped featuring a single hole, in line with where the man's right eye presumably was. For the second time in a minute, Sasuke found his thoughts turning back to Kakashi, the combination of the mask and the fact that Tobi apparently had only one eye serving as dual reminders. But he viciously banished the unwelcome distraction, for their companion had begun to speak, voice steady, deep, and fully commanding the room. "Uchiha Itachi. I was beginning to think you'd _forsaken_ me. And, as Zetsu had indicated, you've brought your brother with you. Welcome to Amegakure, Sasuke-san. I've been wanting to meet you for some time now."

For several heartbeats, there was silence, and then Itachi spoke, tone politely deferential yet seemingly unconcerned despite the less than welcoming reception. "I had urgent business elsewhere involving a potential lead on the Nine Tails _jinchuuriki_. I believe Kisame should have filled Pein in."

A deluge of questions flew through Sasuke's mind as his two companions faced off, the tension in the room palpable. Thanks to his run-in with his old genin team near Hidden Grass, he knew that the Nine Tails _jinchuuriki_ was Naruto and realized now that _that_ was why his brother had gone after the blonde five years ago. _Why were the Akatsuki collecting_ jinchuuriki _, though? And did his brother truly intend to ensnare Naruto?_ Itachi's excuse for his disappearance was very likely a ruse given that he'd actually ended up seeking him out in Oto and _had_ wanted to defect. _But what about the future? Now that they were aligning themselves with Tobi's regime, would Itachi - would_ he, _as his brother's new partner - be tasked with hunting down his onetime teammate? Did he care? And thinking back to what Tobi himself had said… what did he mean about wanting to meet him? Was this all some sort of set-up? But no, his brother would never use him like that, would he?_

He would have to save the questions for later. For Tobi broke the silence, and Sasuke didn't dare miss a word. "Kisame did alert Pein. When it came to your _first_ absence. But the _second_ \- following the sealing of the Three Tails - was _unexpected_ and quite ill timed. Pein tracked you deep into Fire Country, but lost the trail somewhere around Konoha." _Konoha. Whatever was Itachi doing near that accursed place?_ There was no time to dwell, for Tobi was tilting his head slightly towards Sasuke himself now. "Given the seemingly favorable outcome of said disappearance, I'll forgive the indiscretion. However, a word to the wise. My eye is on you, Itachi, and it misses precious little, as you well know. You've just reunited with your beloved _otouto_. I'd _hate_ to see this happy development turn out to be _short lived_."

 _That was a threat if he'd ever heard one_. Itachi clearly got the message as well, for he bowed his head, dark eyes dropping to the floor. "Understood. It will not happen again."

Tobi nodded once. "Good. I'm glad we understand one another." Then, his business with Itachi apparently wrapped up, his masked face turned slightly, invisible gaze resting firmly on Sasuke himself. "I've been watching you from afar for a long time, Sasuke-san, and I know more of you than you may expect. But I suspect that you cannot say the same of me. You must be _curious._ "

Sasuke frowned, well aware that he was being toyed with. After a half-decade of being forced to put up with Orochimaru, he was less than interested in playing Tobi's games. He wasn't going to do anything _foolish_ like take on an obviously powerful shinobi who gave even his brother pause - he was confident in his abilities, but he wasn't _stupid_ \- but he also refused to simply roll over and placate a total stranger with the sycophantic response he was obviously looking for. And so he stayed silent, squaring his shoulders and staring back at where the man's eye was presumably located, counting the seconds as his mind ran through his arsenal of jutsus in the event that the confrontation turned violent.

The moments ticked by. Tobi's gloved right hand came to his chin, head cocking slightly as if in thought. When he next spoke, there was a strange lilt to his tone, almost as if he were _smiling_. "Ah. Good to see that the Uchiha pride yet lives."

Sasuke's frown deepened, a spike of anger charging through him that he quickly fought to suppress. _He couldn't afford to lose his cool now._ "Hn. What do _you_ know of the Uchiha?" he demanded, dark eyes narrowing slightly as he continued to stare down the man before him.

"Sasuke…." Itachi's soft voice came from his left, the rapidity of the gentle warning a testament to his concern for the direction of this conversation. Which was fair. The question had come out a bit more aggressively than he'd intended, after all.

If Tobi heard his brother, however, he didn't show it. For his attention remained fixated upon Sasuke. "What do _I_ know of the Uchiha? An interesting question. Far more than you, I _promise_ you that. Hm… perhaps a little _demonstration_ is in order."

His tone was slow and measured as ever, but a prickle of unease went up Sasuke's spine nonetheless, sensing the danger behind it. He heard Itachi preparing to move next to him, but, this time, he wouldn't permit his brother to fight his battle for him. Eyes never leaving Tobi's, his left arm moved towards his back, preparing to seize the hilt of his _chokuto_ , but he never made it. For a sudden flash of brilliant, swirling red from the right side of his adversary's mask froze him in his tracks. _The Mangekyo Sharingan!_ "Who… _are_ you?" he asked, barely managing to find his voice. _An Uchiha? A thief?_

Silence. Sasuke's heart beat fiercely in his chest, almost drowning out the sound of the rain pelting against the windows surrounding them, falling in sheets onto the village of Ame far below. Beside him, Itachi seemed to have frozen as well, likely awaiting Tobi's next move.

Then, at last, came the response. "You may call me Uchiha _Madara."_

 _Uchiha Madara. He had heard that name once before. Months ago, now, in Hidden Grass. From Kurama himself._

* * *

 _If Sasuke didn't tame that ego of his, he was exceedingly liable to get himself killed._ As the conversation between Sasuke and "Tobi" unfolded - and yes, he was Tobi, for Itachi refused to take the man's claim that he was Madara at face value until he had more conclusive proof beyond his admittedly impressive power and formidable Mangekyo - Itachi felt a chilling dread spread through his body, wrapping itself tightly around his heart. _So reckless. Had his foolish little brother listened to_ anything _he'd said last night? Tch. Probably not what with Deidara there distracting him._

Fortunately, it seemed that Tobi was feeling merciful. _O_ _r, perhaps he too was aware of the potential of Sasuke's Sharingan. Which was, in its way, an even_ more _disturbing concept that the prospect of a death-match with the man who claimed to be the most powerful Uchiha to have ever lived, given the implications for Konoha._ But there was _nothing_ Itachi could do about Tobi's apparent fascination with Sasuke now. It didn't happen often, but he knew when he was out of his depth, and this was most definitely one of those moments. And so, he listened, the knot in his stomach tightening as Tobi took advantage of Sasuke's shock and began to spin a tale that he knew would not be falling on deaf ears.

"I take it from your presence alongside your brother that you've learned the truth about the Massacre. Tell me, Sasuke, what are your thoughts on your home village these days?"

Itachi glanced to his left, sensing the sudden spike in his brother's anger. He could tell that Sasuke was fighting hard to keep his emotions in check, but the clenching of his jaw and tightly held fists were impossible to hide. Rage winning out, his eyes bled red, and Tobi _laughed_ , the ice in his tone sending a chill up Itachi's spine. "Very good, Sasuke. Say no more. Our aims are _aligned_ , then. For I too seek the destruction of Konoha. Although that happy outcome is only one piece of my larger purpose. You and your brother have seen firsthand the _evils_ generated by the village system. How power corrupts the hearts of men, leaving victims, orphans, and slaughter in its wake. My goal is to bring that suffering to an end. To bring down the kages and elders and advisors and councilmen who have wrecked havoc over the shinobi world for too long. To usher in a new era... a time of absolute _peace_."

They were pretty words. Itachi _had_ to give Tobi credit for that. Knowing what he did about the man and his methods and with a heart that would be forever loyal to his village, he was able to see past them easily enough. But Sasuke, encountering their formidable adversary for the first time; lacking the knowledge of his true, power-hungry nature; and unable to see past his own hatred, had no such ability. He could see it in his brother's face now: The anger and mistrust steadily shifting towards a driven, fanatical euphoria that turned his own stomach. With every word Tobi uttered, Sasuke was shifting further and further out of Itachi's grasp, running headlong towards Tobi… _and it terrified him_.

But it appeared that his _otouto_ was not fully convinced quite yet, as his next question illustrated. "And the Tailed Beasts? If _that_ is your endgame, what purpose do they play?"

"Ah. The Tailed Beasts are military weapons, fiercely guarded by their respective villages. You've seen Kokuo and Shukaku in action... and Kurama as well, I presume. The enormity of their power and the threat they pose provide a great deal of leverage to the villages that possess them. By destroying the Tailed Beasts, we eliminate one of the Hidden Villages' greatest combat assets."

"But the _jinchuuriki_ … the extraction _kills_ them."

 _Was it just a brotherly wish, or was there a drop of concern in Sasuke's inflection?_

Tobi nodded, clearly anticipating the query. "Ah, yes, the _jinchuuriki_. As their name suggests, they are nothing more than human _sacrifices_ , forced to bear an unfathomable burden. And what thanks do they receive? They are spurned and looked down upon by the very populace they were created to protect, forever an _other_ , an outcast. It _is_ true that extracting the Beast kills its container, but is it not better to be dead and free than to live an accursed life as nothing more than the vessel of a monster?"

Tobi fell silent. Itachi was unsurprised by his brother's interest in the Tailed Beasts given what Sakura had said about his closeness with the Nine Tails _jinchuuriki_ and the fact that he'd apparently spoken directly with Kurama sometime within the past year. Would he accept Tobi's explanation? Would he see past it, as Itachi himself had (for it was clear to him that Tobi intended to not only deprive the Hidden Villages of the Beasts but also to harness their power for himself)? And what of his relationship with Naruto? Would Sasuke truly accept that his happy-go-lucky _friend_ was in fact a tortured soul wishing to be put out of his misery? From what Itachi had seen of the boy, the description was quite the stretch, if not totally unbelievable. But Tobi _was_ a master manipulator and Sasuke painfully easy prey, mentally damaged by years of Orochimaru's ( _and Itachi's own)_ mental manipulations and far too willing to buy into a lie if it would lead to his desired outcome.

And so, it was with disappointment, not surprise, that Itachi watched a _smile_ slowly spread across his brother's face, so dark and twisted that he found himself questioning every time he'd ever spared his wretched life. "Hn. And what role do I play in this?" Sasuke asked, a mad, hungry fire burning in his eyes.

Itachi could feel the exhaustion washing over him. How he wished he could fight back, sweep Sasuke away someplace safe, _force_ him to see that _forgiveness_ was the way forward, that bringing down Konoha was senseless, that there was no life for him in hatred. But against a man with Tobi's power, he could do nothing. And so, he listened mutely, gaze carefully trained on the ground to avoid having the masked man detect any trace of his sorrow, as Tobi outlined their new assignment.

"I am a reasonable man. Given your _interest_ in the matter, we will strike Konoha next. As you may have gleaned, your elder brother was tasked with obtaining the Nine Tails well over five years ago. So far, he has failed his mission repeatedly, but I anticipate that you will have no such trouble given your personal motivations and unique relationship with the target. That being said, the Nine Tails _jinchuuriki_ is well guarded, even for one with your… _connections_. I will send a little diversion to help facilitate your mission and as a token of my good will. Konoha shall know Pein's wrath."

Itachi's stomach clenched painfully, far too aware of the devastation that Pein could and would bring to his beloved village. Beside him, Sasuke hummed in agreement, although how much he _really_ understood given how little he knew of Pein was certainly a matter of debate. "And what of the Sannin… Jiraiya. Naruto is one of his students. If his powers are anything on the level of Orochimaru's, he could prove _problematic._ "

"Ah, you haven't heard. Konoha's Toad Sannin is _dead_. Another victim of Pein." Itachi fought hard against the urge to raise his gaze in shock, the pain in his heart growing greater still at the news of his seemingly invincible ally's defeat. _But, of course, the Rinnegan was a weapon entirely of its own class._ "With the Hokage and her forces occupied by Pein and the boy's minder no more, it will be the perfect time to strike."

"When? Today? Tomorrow?"

Tobi chuckled darkly. "Eager, are we? Pein is currently occupied with the Six Tails. Be patient, Sasuke… weeks, not months. Stay close to Ame. I will find you again when it is time."

With that, Tobi disappeared in the spiral-like jutsu Itachi knew to be _Kamui_ , leaving him seemingly alone with his brother. But, of course, that was all a ruse. With Zetsu lurking and Pein's Rain Technique, there was no such thing as privacy for as long as they remained in Ame. And so, Itachi ignored the manic flush coloring Sasuke's face; maintained his steady, disaffected gaze; and instead asked in a bored, neutral tone, "Shall we depart, then? There's an inn nearby where we can stay until we are needed."

 _Ah how he wished he could say the words that hung on his tongue… I'm sorry, Sasuke… sorry for everything._


	29. The Midnight Promise

_[AN: Now that we're up-to-date on all things Uchiha, time to check back in with KakaSaku! FYI, I'll be computerless next week, so there might be a slightly longer than usual gap in posting between this chapter and the next. Thanks as always for the comments, follows, and favorites - they are so appreciated! As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 29: The Midnight Promise**

For as long as Sakura had known him, Kakashi- _sensei_ had been a mystery. Pretty much from day one, she and her genin teammates had spent more time than was probably healthy trying to figure out what was underneath his ever-present mask (these days, her best bet was some sort of disfiguring scarring given the missing eye). And the curiosities definitely didn't end there. If anything, as she'd learned more about him and his habits, the questions had multiplied alongside his idiosyncrasies. The chronic lateness, the embarrassing fondness for pornographic literature, the Gai rivalry, the aversion to visiting the hospital, the _obviously_ fake excuses, the nebulous past, the transplanted Sharingan, the emotional unavailability… it all added up to make Kakashi a frustrating difficult individual to get to know as a _sensei_ , a _taichou_ , and, most of all, a person. And this was _particularly_ the case when combined with Sakura's rather disheartening suspicion, based on five years of aloofness and a seeming ennui regarding her development as a kunoichi, that he had little interest in getting to know _her_ back. She'd never _really_ resented him for it - Konoha's famous Copy Ninja had a lot on his plate, after all, and Sasuke and Naruto had been enough of a headache without him having to worry about her too - but she couldn't deny that it had, at times, rankled her spirits.

That being said, over the past two-and-a-half weeks, since that night in her apartment when Kakashi had let slip that he too had a history with Uchiha Itachi, Sakura felt like they were finally making some progress. That he was beginning to see her not just as a minor obligation but instead as a person, as a kunoichi in her own right, and even, possibly, if she squinted hard enough, as a friend. And with Naruto still out of the village, Tsunade busy as ever, Ino and Shizune both set on playing the role of mental health counselor (which was fair, because that _was_ something they were trained to do), and Sai and Yamato not exactly emotionally with it, she could use all the friends she could get.

Somewhat surprisingly, Kakashi _hadn't_ backed out of the tea shop lunch they casually scheduled the night of his drop-by. What's more, over the course of that meal, he'd turned out to be a relatively pleasant one-on-one dining companion, minus the whole "don't look at me while I'm eating" thing. He kept the conversation light, didn't press her on how she was faring (to her great surprise and appreciation), and had left her stunned at the end when he'd silently footed the bill, his visible eye crinkling benevolently at her stammered thanks. His relationship with Uchiha Itachi didn't actually come up over the course of the lunch - which _had_ been the original point of their get together - but perhaps that was for the best. For Sakura's feelings towards Itachi were still exceedingly raw, and being overheard discussing secret affairs with an infamous missing nin wasn't exactly the best way to uphold one's reputation.

Three days after that first lunch, they met up, seemingly by chance, around dinnertime at a little tempura place they were apparently both fond of and shared a table. After that equally pleasant, staggeringly normal experience, they casually decided to make it a routine. So, the tempura dinner was followed by a sushi lunch four days later, which was followed by a return to the tea shop for a post-work meet-up the following Tuesday (her second day back at the hospital). After that, it was ramen on Thursday, and then, most recently, another dinner at the tempura spot that she was walking home from now. Each occasion had been more-or-less like the first - light conversation, no mention of anything Uchiha, him quietly paying the tab at the end despite her increasingly adamant protestations that she could certainly afford to chip in - but Sakura was beginning to glean little things about him here and there, some trivial, others potentially more significant. Kakashi was a frequent visitor to the Memorial Stone.… His favorite foods included miso soup with eggplant.… The Gai-Kakashi rivalry was really a _Gai_ thing (but Kakashi humored him, being a good sport with a competitive streak)... His own genin team had included a girl named Rin with an interest in medical ninjutsu and another boy who was apparently a bit Naruto-like…. And, yes, he actually _did_ sleep with his mask on when in the comfort of his own condo. Otherwise, his chin would get cold.

As Sakura turned onto the little side street leading to her apartment and glanced up at her window, all thoughts of her former _sensei's_ increasing multi-dimensionality vanished. _The lights were on in her unit._ Someone _was home._ For a moment, the memory of red, lust-filled eyes; midnight caresses; and whispered desires sent her heart aflutter, but she forcefully banished the unwelcome thoughts with a determined shake of her head. _No. She wasn't going to think about_ him _anymore. It wasn't him. It couldn't be. It had been over two months now, and he was long gone… a traitor... dead, for all she knew._

Footsteps quickening, Sakura jogged the rest of the way up her street, through the front door of her building, and up the stairs, pulling out the kunai she kept strapped to her thigh for emergencies, just in case. Her visitor was probably friendly: Her parents, Shizune, and Ino all had keys to her flat (standard procedure given that the shinobi lifestyle often required unexpected absences from home). But she couldn't quite shake the haunting red eyes that she'd so vividly pictured outside from her consciousness. _If the impossible_ were _true… if it were Itachi or Sasuke, what would she do?_ As long as Itachi wasn't too crippled by his illness, there was no way she'd be able to subdue him alone, and the same thing likely held true for Sasuke given what she'd seen of him in Hidden Grass and the setting (for enclosed spaces weren't great for a taijutsu user, and he definitely had her beat when it came to genjutsu). And even if she _did_ manage to take a prisoner by some insane stroke of fortune, would she _really_ turn him in, whichever brother he was? _She'd have to. They were traitors… enemies of their own village… the_ worst _kind of people. And it would break her heart all over again._

Turning the key in the lock with a fumbling hand, Sakura clutched her kunai like it was a lifeline, her heart racing in her chest. She peered around the cracked door and took in the scene… the familiar little room, her cozy bed, her kitchen nook, Ino sitting at the table… _Ah. Ino. Yes, that made sense._ The discovery that the intruder happened to be a friend was quite a relief… _but also, strangely, a bit disappointing? Ugh. No. Stop._

Aware that her pale complexion and wide eyes wouldn't give her whole "I'm doing much better, I swear" routine much traction, Sakura willed her body to calm down with a few deep breaths and tucked her kunai safely back in its holster. Once more or less composed, she entered with a slapped-on grin and a "Pig! You startled me!," just to ensure that she fully covered her tracks.

Ino responded with a smooth, easy smile that was frustratingly difficult to read. Ever since joining T&I's ranks as an intern last fall, she'd gotten much better at masking her expressions, even in casual conversation. "Good to see that you were out and about, Forehead! What were you up to tonight?"

Sakura shrugged, scuffing off her shinobi sandals and making her way to join Ino at the table. "Nothing special. Just dinner with Kaka-sensei. We went to that same little tempura place I was telling you about last week."

"Mm… interesting."

 _Was it?_ Sakura didn't think so, but the strange knowingness that made those blue eyes sparkle gave her pause. "That was your fourth meal one-on-one with your ex- _sensei_ in the past two weeks, neh?" the blonde asked "casually," although Sakura could tell from her years of experience in dealing with her friend that there was nothing casual about her tone. "I don't ever remember you spending so much _one-on-one_ time with him before."

 _Hm… was Ino jealous? Asuma's death was still quite recent; not even three months ago..._

But bringing up Asuma just then seemed rather unkind. Ino meant well, even if her concerns too often came off as prying. And so, Sakura turned her attention to her friend's question, figuring that it was a safe enough one to answer. "Fifth, actually. Sixth if you count tea. Why?"

Ino shrugged, looking over her manicure (hot pink, this week) as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Oh, no particular reason. It just seems like a lot of time to spend with him… with _anyone_ all of a sudden, out of the blue. You know what I mean?" She looked up, and Sakura was surprised to see a shadow of concern drifting over her pale face. "I just wanted to make sure you were… _okay_."

At that, Sakura scoffed, less than pleased to find that what had started out as a seemingly new conversation was circling back around to the same "are you _okay_ , Sakura?" mode of questioning that had characterized pretty much all of Ino's visits since her return from Oto. "Of course I'm okay. I've told you hundreds of time for _weeks_ now that I'm doing _much_ better."

Ino nodded slowly. "I know… I know you have. And you seem like you _are_ , Sakura. And I'm really happy that that's the case. I just, well, I find myself wondering _why_... hoping that you're better for the, uh, _right_ reasons. I mean, I know your _dates_ with Kakashi have a lot to do with the change in attitude over the past few weeks. And that makes sense… but, I just want to make sure, as your _friend_ , that he's not taking advantage of you or anything like that. After everything else that happened."

 _Ha. After everything that happened. Sure, Ino knew she'd been seduced and dumped by Itachi, but she didn't_ really _know the half of it. But wait a second. What was that about Kakashi_ taking advantage _of her? And dates? Sure, Kakashi was kind of her type on paper but… SERIOUSLY?_ Sakura felt her cheeks warm in a mixture of outrage and embarrassment. "Ino! It's not like _that_ at all! Kaka-sensei is my _sensei_!"

" _Was_ your _sensei_ ," the blonde retorted, as if she'd been expecting this counter-volley. "He hasn't _been_ your _sensei_ in a good five years."

" _Fine_. Ex- _sensei_. And my _current_ team captain _._ And the only other original member of Team 7 in the village these days. It's only right that he'd be worried about me after what happened with… _Itachi_." _Ugh, how she hated saying his name. Each syllable was torture._

Ino sighed heavily. "I know, Sakura, I know. I just want you to be careful, okay? You're quite _vulnerable_ right now, even if you don't want to admit it. And I don't want to see anyone else break your trust or _hurt_ you again. That's all." Her lips quirked upwards in a familiar smile, clearly wishing to ease the tension that had erupted between them. "But you're right. Kakashi's a good guy. The age gap just… got to me a bit. Particularly after… well, anyway never mind. _He_ doesn't matter anymore. As long as you're happy now."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, still not liking Ino's tone in the least. _Why did it still sound like her friend was implying that she and Kakashi had some sort of_ romantic _relationship going on?_ Ino was pretty boy crazy these days, and Kakashi wasn't actually a revolting choice by any stretch of the imagination, at least now that she'd been forced to think of him in that way... _but really?_ _How didn't Ino get it!_ Maybe Kakashi hadn't been the _best sensei_ , but that didn't mean he _wasn't_ one. Besides, even if she _did_ find him kind of, sort of attractive, there was no way he'd want anything to do with _her_. He was an elite jounin, the famous Copy Ninja. And she? A foolish little chunin who let a _criminal_ deceive, defile...

To her credit, Ino seemed to sense Sakura's increasingly dark state of mind. Eyes sparkling far too enthusiastically, she quickly cut in. "Let's change the subject, shall we? Did you hear about Shino? He just got tapped for a promotion to jounin! There's gonna be a party next weekend, and I was thinking we could start planning outfits!"

* * *

Meaning utterly no disrespect towards the Aburame clan, but Sakura hadn't wanted to attend Shino's promotion party. At all. The gathering at the Twisted Kunai represented her first appearance on Konoha's social scene since the failed Oto mission, and she wasn't entirely sure she was ready. She hadn't lied to Ino… she _was_ starting to feel better about some aspects of what had transpired. Time and the support she was receiving from Ino, Shizune, Tsunade, and Kakashi had certainly helped to ease some of the immediate pain and shock. But, from a personal standpoint, she was still hurt, confused, angry, and more than a touch humiliated by what had transpired, not to mention mixed up by her feelings towards both of the Uchiha brothers. And when it came to the village more broadly, her guilt for the part she'd inadvertently played in allowing an infamous criminal to penetrate Konoha, saving his life when he otherwise would have died, and, most of all, turning Sasuke and his Sharingan over to the Akatsuki was steadily growing. Sure, it hadn't been _intentional_ \- otherwise, she'd have been sitting in a prison cell in the basement of the Hokage's tower - but she really should have known better, should have seen it coming, and, most of all, shouldn't have let her heart get involved. _No, she was in no mental state for a party_.

Yet, Ino had insisted, and it really was the socially responsible thing to do. And so, there at the bar sat Haruno Sakura on a busy Friday night slightly after eleven; clad in a little red party dress with cap sleeves, a scoop neckline, and a hem that hit her mid-thigh; sandwiched between Ino and a chunin three years older than herself who _might_ have been named Yuri; clutching her fifth (or was it sixth?) cup of sake of the night; and feeling for all intensive purposes like the loneliest kunoichi in Konoha.

Ino was perfectly pleasant company - all of their peer group was (although Lee's eternal zest for all things youth could be a bit tiresome, Neji could be a bit of a drag, and Shino didn't really talk much) - but Sakura couldn't help but feel a distinct sense of separation between herself and her friends. Thanks to Itachi, it had been over three months since her last appearance at one of their larger gatherings, and she was definitely a bit out of the loop. And the fact that she was sitting on a bunch of classified information involving the Uchiha clan and their relationship with Konoha, Orochimaru's death, Jiraiya's disappearance, and Sasuke's brand new alliance with the Akatsuki didn't exactly leave her with a lot of talking points. Nor did the less important, yet still depressing fact that she was short two-thirds of her genin team. Sure, Sai was there, but given the timing of her kidnapping and the fact that he'd been an extremely recent addition to the roster, she hadn't actually worked with him much. He seemed to be fitting in well enough with the rest of the group - Ino certainly seemed happy about his inclusion, at any rate _-_ but Sakura didn't feel any sort of connection that one would expect to have with a teammate. _Kami, did she miss Naruto._

As Sakura drained her glass with a shudder - she wasn't a big drinker but needed _something_ to get her through the night and figured that her _Shishou_ usually knew best - a sudden disturbance near the front of the bar caught her attention. Peering tipsily across the room, she noticed that the commotion seemed to center around Kiba. He was standing in the doorway, his back to the room, and loudly exclaiming about something, although she was too far away to make out the words. _Probably something stupid. He looked drunk. Typical Kiba._ _Not that she was_ really _one to judge given her current state._ Then, Kiba shifted slightly to the side, his usual toothy grin slapped across his face, and the source of the excitement became clear. _Orange, black, yellow, and tanned all over… Naruto!_

"Oy, Forehead, you didn't tell me your idiot teammate was gonna be back in Konoha tonight!" Ino slurred to her left, momentarily extracting herself from whatever bit of flirting she was doing with Sai to spare a glance towards the entryway.

Sakura eagerly hopped off her stool to greet her teammate. "He didn't tell me! He's never been much for letters." She could feel a happy bubble rising up inside her. Naruto's seemingly boundless optimism had always been infectious, and it was _exactly_ what the medic-nin had ordered.

As she got within a few feet of where he was standing, their eyes met, bright, honest blue sparkling in the dim light of the bar. "Sakura-chan! I was just asking Kiba where you were. I just got back, _dattebayo_! How've you been?" He eyed her up and down, brow furrowing in what she was somewhat nonplussed to realize was concern. "You look kinda pale… have you been spending too much time in the hospital again?" He drew closer to her, lowering his voice. "Everything's been _okay_ , right? I mean, last time I was home was right after you'd been kidnapped by you-know-who. I know you said you were fine then, but, well, I was kinda _worried_ about you, Sakura-chan."

 _Well, that was_ not _a great start_. Slapping on a smile, Sakura let out a hopefully convincing laugh. "You, _baka_! I'm perfectly fine! You're completely right; I've just been at the hospital and haven't gotten out much since… you were last in Konoha. With you not around to distract me, what else would I be doing?" She nodded her head back in the direction from which she'd come. "Can I buy you a welcome home drink now that you're legal? How's training been?"

"Uh, sure, that would be great!" With some difficulty given the crowd, they steered their way back to her previous perch at the counter, Naruto taking over Ino's recently vacated stool, and Sakura catching the bartender's eye, ordering two more glasses of her _Shishou's_ preferred poison. "Training's going really good! The toads and me are still getting along great! Although, to be _honest_ , it's real hard, and requires so much _focus._ I don't think I've worked more in my life, not even when I was learning the Rasengan from Ero-Sennin. But it'll be worth it in the end, _dattebayo!_ "

The happy bubble that had inflated at the sight of her friend sagged slightly. _Hm… Jiraiya. Did Naruto know he was missing?_ Judging from the normalcy of his tone, Sakura suspected not. But that was really a concern for her _Shishou_ , not herself… and she definitely didn't need anything else to worry about at the moment. Turning her attention to the little ceramic glasses that had just been placed in front of them, Sakura lifted hers with a grin and a little "cheers!" before taking a hearty sip. _Gods, it was like fire. Even after however many glasses she'd had. How_ did _Tsunade stand the stuff?_

To her left, Naruto grinned back and drained his cup, only to start sputtering seconds later, returning the empty glass to the bartop with a thump and wiping his lips with the back of his right hand. "Whoa, Sakura-chan, that's strong! I didn't know you were into stuff like _that_! Must be Baa-chan's influence! Let's hope I don't end up like Ero-Sennin with all his women, neh?" The blonde grinned rather devilishly at his own joke, eyebrows wiggling for comic effect.

Unfortunately, the humor was lost on Sakura, for the additional reference to Jiraiya only served as a further reminder of the secrets she was keeping. Not wishing to dwell, she once again sought out a different subject, steering the conversation back towards her companion's training. _Naruto liked to talk. If she could just get him started on something he was passionate about, she'd be safe._ "So what sorts of exercises do they have you doing on Mount Myoboku, Naruto-kun?" she asked, right index finger absentmindedly running around the rim of her glass. _She was starting to feeling pretty fuzzy headed… but one more would be okay, right?_

"So far, a lot of meditation stuff… balancing energies… they've got this oil that's supposed to help… and a staff…" He broke off, scratching the back of head and frowning at her. "Eh, but you don't want to hear about all _that_ , Sakura-chan. I mean, sure, it's real _important_ , but it's pretty _boring_ to talk about, and you know how hopeless I am at the theory stuff. Now Sage Mode itself…" He perked up, grinning broadly, and Sakura smiled back, exceedingly pleased with the direction that the conversation was heading ( _far away from anything... unpleasant)_. "It's so _cool!_ It enhances all your stats - speed, stamina, reflexes, awareness, chakra capacity - you name it! With it and your insane strength and Kaka-sensei's Sharingan, we''ll _definitely_ get _teme_ back, _dattebayo!_ "

 _Ugh. And they had been doing so well, too._ But, as usual, all of Sakura's conversations somehow seemed to circle back to one Uchiha or another these days. Naruto lowered his voice and leaned in towards her, expression growing serious. "I don't suppose you've heard anything? I went and saw _baa-chan_ before I came here. She was pretty cagey… threatened to throw me out of her office window when I asked about sending us on another mission, and I'm not actually sure she was kidding. Has she said anything to you? We were _so close_ last time… I feel like if we try again, and if Kaka-sensei can come too, we'll definitely pull it off!"

Blue eyes gazed at her expectantly, and Sakura swallowed hard, all of the alcohol she'd consumed that night hitting her at once along with a crippling panic. _Oh gods, she was going to be sick… all over the bar._ Tsunade had apparently said _nothing_ about what had happened with Sasuke, and now Naruto was looking at her with those _eyes_ of his and, well, she couldn't lie to Naruto. Lying about Itachi had been bad enough. But the alternative - if she told him the truth - why, he'd probably go rushing off _after_ Sasuke. He'd never really been one for playing by the rules, after all. And Sage Mode or not, she really didn't like his odds up against _both_ brothers. Particularly given how active the Akatsuki had been lately in hunting _jinchuuriki_ and seeing as Jiraiya had vanished. For thanks to Itachi, she now understood just how gigantic the targets were on _both_ of her teammates' backs… and it kind of terrified her.

Unfortunately, Naruto's newfound perceptiveness did not appear to be limited to Sage Mode, for he easily picked up on her distress. Blonde eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Sakura-chan… are you _sure_ you're okay? You look really… _not good_ , all of a sudden. I mean, you look real pretty - _so_ pretty - but you look all clammy and sweaty and stressed too. Did something happen? Did you find out something?"

"Nothing happened! I've heard nothing!" Sakura managed to squeak out, painfully aware how high pitched and tight her voice sounded. Naruto looked so _worried_ , eyes wide with earnestness, and it was _killing_ her. And even worse, people around her - Ino, Shikamaru, Sai - were starting to notice. And the bar was so dark and too hot and so loud... and she was so drunk and miserable and... _oh gods,_ _she needed to get out of there. Immediately. But how? Naruto had_ just _gotten home, she hadn't seen him in_ months _, and it wasn't even midnight yet..._

Desperately seeking an answer, her green eyes fell on the empty little sake cup still sitting on the bar before her. _Yes, that would work_. _And it wasn't even really all that much of a lie, either._ "I'm really _sorry_ , Naruto-kun. But I'm afraid I'm feeling pretty sick all of a sudden. I think I may have had too much to drink before you got here, and that last one was my limit. I should probably go home before I embarrass myself completely."

Naruto's frown deepened, and, for a moment, Sakura feared that he'd seen right through her excuse. But then, his brow unfurrowed, the concern fading away and leaving him with usual, sunny disposition. "No problem! I can walk you!"

Sakura's panic grew. _If Naruto came with her, then she couldn't even use the excuse of eavesdroppers as a way of getting out of talking about Sasuke._ "No, no! That's quite all right! I can get myself home. I'm not _that_ wasted. And besides, I'm sure you want to catch up with everyone else! Like… Choji. And Hinata-chan. I'm sure she'll be so happy to see that you're back." Sakura stood, making sure to play up the whole drunk thing a bit as she pushed in her stool. "I'll see you soon, Naruto-kun. Okay? Maybe… ramen tomorrow? My treat."

Naruto nodded amiably. "Just be careful, Sakura-chan. There are _creeps_ out there, you know. But I know how strong you are these days. You can definitely take them, drunk or not!"

With a little wave and a massive sigh of relief, Sakura turned speedily away from Naruto before he could rope her into anything else. She didn't need or want an escort home. For, she realized with a sudden, rather startling clarity, that she wasn't going to be going home. She wanted - no, she _needed_ \- to see Kakashi.

* * *

Aging was by and large an intensely negative experience for the average shinobi. Thanks to the nature and demands of the job, every birthday meant one more year closer towards retirement, decrepitude, and irrelevance. There were certainly men and women who bucked the trend - hell, Sarutobi-sama had to have been over seventy when he passed, and the show he'd put on against Orochimaru had been the stuff of legends - but they were the exceptions. Fortunately, Kakashi had found that growing older wasn't all bad. Indeed, recently turning thirty had given him a newfound appreciation for certain pleasures in life... such as a quiet Friday night in with his favorite companions: a generous pour of whiskey, a good book, and, if he was feeling sociable, the ninken. Tonight was one of those nights (sans ninken), although it was also somewhat different. For the past few months had been _rough_ , and not even _Icha Icha_ could keep him entirely distracted from his thoughts.

With several months having gone by, he'd more or less made peace with the latest Uchiha incident. It was much easier to accept the enigma that was Uchiha Itachi the second time around, when he wasn't so emotionally tied to the arrogant bastard, although he was still wary of the long-term fallout. He knew too well that Naruto was _not_ going to be happy when he found out about Sasuke's current activities, and, more broadly speaking, was also concerned about the implications of his ex-student's absorption into the Akatsuki for Konoha's fate as a whole. For the fact that Sasuke was running around the Land of Earth with Itachi suggested that he may very well have found out who was actually behind the massacre of his clan. And knowing Sasuke like Kakashi did, it would not surprise him if he decided that the entire village was culpable. Which could end _very badly_ , given how formidable the Akatsuki tended to be, whom Itachi had mentioned might be leading them, and how much respect Itachi had held for his _otouto's_ Sharingan. _Although, that could have been brotherly pride… the elder Uchiha had always been a bit extreme about that._

Meanwhile, closer to home, there was the vexingly attractive issue of his pink-haired dining companion. Over the past few weeks, Kakashi had enjoyed his new role as Sakura's confidante far more than was healthy, safe, or wise. Now that staying detached was off the table, he found himself gradually telling her things that he hadn't really made a habit of sharing with, well, _anyone_. It felt _odd_ … but also good, and the friendship they were forming satisfied him… to an extent. But he was playing with fire, and he was no Uchiha (although, he had a few _katon_ tricks up his sleeve, being the Copy Ninja and all). Sooner or later, he was guaranteed to let something slip, and then there would be hell to pay. _Although_ , the conniving part of his brain that he really shouldn't ever listen to whispered seductively, _would it be so unethical?_ She _was_ over eighteen; she hadn't been his student in years; and, while technically against the shinobi rules, _taichous_ had a rich history of sleeping with their reports. Indeed, thanks to a rather memorable late night drinking session with Jiraiya a year or two ago, he was aware that Tsunade herself had committed the crime back in her youth. _Yes, it was an interesting proposition, to be sure. One that certain parts of him would very much like to see through..._

But not until he confirmed that Sakura was interested, willing, and capable of making such a decision. And was comfortable with his "keep things casual" approach. Because, much as he desired her, he refused to take advantage or sweep her into any sort of affair for which she wasn't ready. Between her unrequited love for one Uchiha and her disastrous affair with the other, she'd had quite enough of being used for one lifetime.

A somewhat tentative knock on the door had Kakashi setting down his book, rising to his feet from his old leather couch, and crossing to the door in one smooth motion. Swinging it open in vague surprise, he found himself peering down on the very kunoichi he'd been thinking about. She was clad in a rather showy red dress - he smelled Yamanaka Ino's influence all over the little number - her emerald eyes luminous in the harsh hallway lighting. _How did she know where he lived?_ That was a question for another time, for she was clearly not doing well. Her body language was exceedingly glum, her expression defeated, and his nose told him that she'd been drinking. Copious quantities of exceedingly cheap sake, by the smell of it. _Hm… the Aburame boy's jounin promotion party had been tonight. What could have upset Sakura-chan there?_

Unfortunately, given the kunoichi's current mental state and the mix of characters who usually showed up at those sorts of gatherings, the possibilities were pretty much endless. Some interrogation was going to be required if he wanted to get to the bottom of things… and he found that he did. Well, it was technically his Hokage-ordained _mission_ to do so, but he also cared rather deeply about the woman and couldn't leave her hanging when she clearly had something to get off of her chest. And, so, with a quick glance down the fortunately empty hall, Kakashi ushered the bleary-eyed woman inside, wordlessly settled her on the couch with his favorite grey throw spread across her lap, and padded off to the kitchen to fix her some jasmine tea with honey (her favorite, as he'd come to learn over the past few weeks).

Returning to his living room roughly five minutes later with his tea tray in hand, his visible eye ran over Sakura's form critically, more fully assessing what exactly he was dealing with. Her brow was furrowed in thought, her green eyes dull from a combination of drunkenness and a yet-to-be-identified emotion, and her kissable lips firmly down=turned in a pout that he chided himself for finding so tantalizing. _She was_ upset _. She needed to be taken care of. And he needed to sit down, shut up, and listen._ Which was exactly what he intended to do, masculine urges be damned. And so, placing the wooden tray down on his somewhat rickety coffee table, Kakashi passed her a mug of tea with a gentle "there we are, Sakura-chan," careful to leave the chipped one for himself, and settled himself onto the far end of the sofa.

He allowed her five further minutes of contemplation before deciding she could use a bit of prompting. "Now then, pleasant as it is to see you, I take it that your visit this evening wasn't purely a social call."

Sakura's pale hands twisted nervously around her mug, those mesmerizing eyes focused steadily upon him in that unnerving way she'd developed over the past few months. _Damn Uchiha Itachi's influence._ Then, she sighed heavily, placing her mug down on the coaster (it wasn't really clear why she was even bothering given that the pitted surface looked a bit like it had gone through the Third Shinobi War alongside him). "I just don't know how to feel about any of it anymore, _sensei_ ," she breathed somewhat unsteadily. Her gaze dropped fixedly to her tea mug, as if no longer able to meet his eye. "It's making me _crazy_. And there's no one else I can talk to. Not Ino… Naruto… Shizune. You're the only one other than Tsunade who knows. And I _can't_ burden _Shishou_ right now, with all the stress she's under with Jiraiya and the Akatsuki. It's just… I want to know _why_. Was _this_ his plan all along? Did something go wrong that night? Was everything a lie? And what about Jiraiya? Was he involved too? Is _that_ why he's disappeared? None of it makes sense!"

Sakura fell silent, chewing nervously on her lip as her eyes filled with heavy tears. _Ah. Well, those were certainly a lot of very fair questions._ In truth, Kakashi was unsurprised by her sudden outburst. He'd sensed that the kunoichi had been bottling up her feelings for weeks, and, given how fully she usually wore her heart on her sleeve, that house of cards eventually had to come tumbling down. _But what had precipitated it? Was it just the sake talking, or had someone at the Twisted Kunai said something?_ Thanks to their search-and-rescue missions during her kidnapping, several of her peers knew that she'd had some sort of involvement with Uchiha Itachi. They were a good group of kids - _really adults these days_ \- but alcohol had a tendency to loosen tongues, as Sakura herself had just demonstrated.

Aware that the minutes were starting to stretch, Kakashi frowned to himself beneath his mask. He had his own idea as to _why_ Uchiha Itachi had done what he'd done, but he doubted that it would do much to lift Sakura's spirits, and, given the late hour and the fact that she was drunk, now was definitely not the time for theorizing. So, reaching into his arsenal of well-worn advice, he pulled out a suitably vague response that, fingers crossed, would hopefully leave her feeling better. At least until she got some sleep and sobered up a bit. "Sakura… knowing the _why_ doesn't necessarily do much to assist with the healing process. Instead, I would urge you to focus on what you can take away from this. Some of the best lessons can be gleaned from the darkest of circumstances."

Kakashi's statement came from the heart - straight from his past with Obito and Rin - but Sakura's snort told him far too clearly where she felt he could shove it. Her chin rose to meet his gaze, green eyes glowing with wild, alcohol-fueled madness. "What I've _learned._ Let's see…" She held out her right hand before her, counting off dramatically from her thumb to her ring finger. "Some genjutsu, how to summon crows, not to trust dark-haired men no matter how handsome or convincing they seem, and a bunch of crap about the Sharingan that I'll probably never use given that all natural-born Uchiha are gone from Konoha forever and yours is a transplant." Then, she ticked off her pinky with a harsh, bitter laugh that sounded so, stirringly _wrong_ coming out of her mouth. "Oh, and, _of course_ , how could I forget? How to _fuck_."

Kakashi felt his ears turn pink, his mind grasping for something, _anything_ he could say to diffuse this explosive tag of a situation. But Sakura charged on right ahead, the sake she'd been drinking in full effect. "But that last one was a lesson best not learned from Uchiha Itachi, wouldn't you say, _sensei_? Shinobi might be forgiving, but _no one_ in Konoha will _ever_ want the kunoichi who let _him_ defile her."

 _Well, fuck. He was so utterly unprepared for this conversation._ Now that Sakura mentioned it, he wasn't actually surprised by this particular concern either. After all, hearing that a bedmate had been deflowered by one of Konoha's most famous missing-nin _would_ make for interesting pillow talk, possibly _too_ interesting for a less-seasoned man. _Which is why some things were better left unsaid._ But there was no need to go into all _that_ tonight. Willing his voice not to crack and his treacherous mind not to give him away, Kakashi swallowed hard. "That's classified information, Sakura. None of your future… _paramours_ will know unless you tell them. And if you do… well, I think you'll find your concerns unfounded."

He was stretching the truth a bit, and Sakura seemed to know it. A pink eyebrow arched towards the ceiling, disbelief dripping from her expression. "Oh really? Prove it then. Kiss me. Now."

Resisting the urge to flee the couch and barricade himself in his bathroom, Kakashi instead contented himself with running his right hand through his hair, mind racing with a hungry, sinful desire he had no business having. _She wants you to kiss her… so fucking kiss her._ But _no_ , he couldn't do _that_. Not when she was miserable, drunk, and so clearly out of her right mind. It would be irresponsible, unethical, and an egregious abuse of his position. But he couldn't just reject her either. For that would be playing into all of her fears.

And, of course, Sakura realized that he was stalling. Green eyes brimming with tears, she curled up into herself, hugging her knees to her chest to give him an alluring flash of lacy red that he really wished he hadn't seen. He _liked_ the view just fine… but it wasn't making this any easier. "It's _fine_. You don't want me. I get it. You don't have to say anything more..."

 _There was nothing else for it._ Praying that this situation would _somehow_ work itself out - _maybe Sakura would forget everything that had transpired when she woke up tomorrow morning? She certainly seemed pretty wasted_ \- Kakashi replied in a soft baritone that he fought hard to keep steady, "It's not that. I _would_ like to kiss you, Sakura. But if I did that right now... it would be an immense broach of trust. You've been drinking, and I'm not the type who takes advantage of a thing like that."

Feeling somewhat emboldened by the open-mouthed silence that followed his admission, Kakashi rose to his feet, proffering his right hand. "Come. Sleep here tonight. I'll take the couch. And then, tomorrow, we _will_ talk." He sighed, finally succumbing to some of the temptation churning in his belly. "And tomorrow… if you still wish it, I will kiss you."

Slowly, she placed her small hand in his, the sensation of her smooth, warm skin against his own calloused palm positively electric. _And, oh, those tear-filled, slightly unfocused, emerald eyes… they were going to be his undoing_. "No excuses?"

 _Mah, did she know him well._ "For once, no excuses."


	30. The Price of Hatred

_[AN: One of the interesting challenges of having major characters in two different places has been hammering out the chapter order. It was kind of tempting to go with a Konoha arc and then an Uchiha one. However, much as I love me some KakaSaku, I didn't want to lose the Uchiha thread or screw too much with the timeline of what's happening when. Hopefully, my decision to jump between the two pairs hasn't given you too much whiplash! Thanks so much for all the positive feedback on the last chapter, the follows, and the favorites! As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 30: The Price of Hatred**

They approached Konoha under the cover of darkness, Sasuke in the lead, setting a blistering pace as he dashed through the treetops, with Itachi following close behind, lungs burning with every breath he took. At Tobi's command, they'd departed Ame two days ago, with Pein, having returned from his successful capture of the Six Tails, roughly a half-day behind. For the past forty-eight hours, they'd been traveling almost nonstop, pausing to rest and refuel just three times. It was a harsh, punishing trip that Itachi's weakened body was in no condition to take, but he had little choice in the matter. Besides, they were almost there… less than an hour from the gates, by his reckoning. _Unfortunately._

Much as he was dreading what awaited them in Konoha, their previous few weeks in Ame had not been pleasant either. With Zetsu lurking, Itachi had no way of even attempting a counteroffensive against the twisted vision of a Hidden Village-less world that Tobi had presented to his brother. _Not that it would do much good_. Sasuke didn't say much of what their mysterious companion had told them, but there was a new look in his eye, the mad, burning resolve of killing intent, indicating that his _otouto_ believed every word and was eager to play his part.

Usually, Itachi would have fallen back on his favorite mechanism to cope with the miserable combination of boredom and unadulterated dread: training of the _shurikenjutsu_ variety. Too drained from his illness, however, and not wishing for Sasuke to know he was unwell - there was nothing to be gained from telling him, and he'd already burdened his little brother with quite enough for one lifetime - any sort of physical activity was firmly off limits. He'd managed to find a medic in Ame who was able to provide him with pills that more-or-less controlled his outward symptoms, but he certainly wasn't going to push his luck. After Sakura's competent, loving treatment, the Ame woman had been a poor excuse for a clinician, and her clumsy diagnostic examination had made it crystal clear that he had no hope of receiving an actual treatment for his malady in Hidden Rain.

Since training and sparring were both out and there was little he could safely discuss with Sasuke, Itachi instead devoted long hours to meditation. It was following a particularly lengthy session, about a week after their interview with Tobi, that his mind began to formulate a new plan… a final attempt to sway his brother from his destructive course. Prior to arriving in Hidden Rain, he had tried and failed to convince Sasuke that destroying Konoha would gain him nothing but misery through words and reason. _He really should have known better… logic was no way to counter hatred._ And so, he settled on a new tactic: Playing to his brother's emotional side. For, contrary to popular belief, their clan tended to be strongly swayed by matters of the heart, and it was exceedingly clear to him that Sasuke was no outlier. Of course, given that Itachi wouldn't actually be able to put his plan in place until they were a good distance from Ame given the threat of Tobi overhearing and deciding to step in, it was a somewhat risky proposition. But the gamble seemed like his best remaining chance at obtaining any sort of favorable outcome.

And so, as they closed in on Konoha, despite the almost debilitating pain in his chest, Itachi kept up a steady conversation with Sasuke, honing in on his bonds with Team 7 in anticipation of the confrontation to come. He'd begun cautiously, asking his _otouto_ what it was like to have a genin team (a somewhat honest question, actually, for he himself had barely had one). Next, came queries about missions he'd undertaken as a Konoha shinobi and, then, his experience during the Chunin exams (which he already knew a fair bit about courtesy of Jiraiya, but Sasuke obviously wasn't to know that). So far, the dialogue had been rather one sided, Sasuke's answers painfully succinct, even by Uchiha standards. Given what Itachi had observed over the past couple of months, that was more or less what he had expected, and he admittedly had limited interest in what Sasuke _actually_ had to say. His goal was rather to keep Sasuke _thinking_ , to return to the forefront of his mind those past bonds and loyalties that he'd attempted to suppress so that the full implications of his present actions could not be ignored. And it seemed to be working… or, at least, his _otouto's_ increasingly short tone and vexed glances backwards certainly suggested that he was, at the very least, irritated by the subject matter, much as he tried to hide it.

Turning his attention from Sasuke's very first confrontation with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death - _interesting, with some rather fascinating insights into the nature of the Cursed Seal but not quite as relevant to his current purpose -_ Itachi zeroed in on Hatake, the easiest of the three for him to discuss given his longtime familiarity with the man. "It intrigued me to learn that your jounin _sensei_ was Hatake Kakashi, Sasuke. He was my _taichou_ during my early days in ANBU." Give and take. It was a classic negotiation strategy that Itachi often fell back on and could be surprisingly effective, setting the target at ease and making him believe that they were equals in conversation. He only hoped that it proved as fruitful against Sasuke as it had with Sakura and Hatake himself.

Sasuke shrugged his response, giving Itachi the barest of glances over his shoulder. "Kakashi proved useful enough when it came to _Chidori_. But there was only so much he could teach me."

"Hn." Well, he sensed little in the way of an opening there. Contrary to his little brother's opinion, Itachi straight-out knew that there was _far_ more that Kakashi could have taught Sasuke. He was rumored to have a thousand jutsus in his arsenal, which was _probably_ exaggeration, although Itachi could personally vouch for that number being well over five hundred. Then, of course, there were those other, vital lessons about teamwork, loyalty to the village, and respecting one's comrades that the Copy Ninja's own life experiences made him particularly well versed in.

But Itachi was trying to keep Sasuke talking and thinking, not shut him down with a lecture on how his development as a shinobi had been deficient. _Besides, as the spectre that had haunted his brother's thoughts for a decade, he was really to blame for much of that._ And so, Itachi turned his attention to the next teammate: the _jinchuuriki._ Jiraiya had said before that they'd shared a special bond, and his own interaction with Kurama had seemingly confirmed that. _Perhaps Naruto would elicit more of an impassioned response?_

"And what of your fellow genin, _otouto_? Say, the Nine Tails _jinchuuriki_? I understand that Konoha's Toad Sannin took him under his wing around the time of your departure from the village."

This time, Sasuke didn't even spare him a head turn. "The _deadlast,_ " he replied, distaste positively dripping from his tone. "He could receive instruction from Kami himself, and it wouldn't make the barest difference."

Well, there was certainly passion there… a _rivalry_ by the sound of it. Itachi frowned slightly at the back of his brother's head, growing increasingly unimpressed by the arrogance on display. _Tch, underestimating your opponents, otouto? His foolish little brother truly did have much to learn._ Unfortunately, however, now was not the time for lessons: They were on borrowed time already, were drawing close to the village, and still had one more teammate to discuss. And so, biting back the guilt that stirred in his own belly at the mere thought of her, Itachi prepared himself to ask his brother about the sole kunoichi on his genin squad. He'd seen firsthand how deeply Sakura cared for his brother. _Was it too much to hope that there could be some sort of reciprocation on his part?_

"And your final teammate. The Godaime Hokage's apprentice? I know little of her... other than her impressive victory over Akasuna no Sasori." That was obviously a lie, but there was no point in stating otherwise. What had transpired between himself and Sakura was not for Sasuke to know - unless Sakura herself felt differently, which he doubted would ever be the case - particularly if his brother did one day return to Konoha.

This time, there was a far more significant pause before Sasuke's response that Itachi found quite telling. _Hn, it seems that Sakura's affections towards his otouto might indeed be less unrequited that she'd thought,_ he mused, eyes locked on Sasuke's moonlit silhouette as it darted from tree to tree. Then: "Sakura was always… _annoying_." As with Naruto, there was a certain dismissiveness to his intonation, but it was far less venomous and rather intriguingly detached, almost as if his brother didn't really believe his own words. That was a comforting thought… but they definitely weren't out of the woods yet. For even if Sasuke _did_ care about his former teammates, that emotional wall he'd built up was still very much in place. And breaching that in a comprehensive-enough fashion to alter the course of his decision-making process when faced with Tobi's false promise of revenge was going to be a tall order.

* * *

They reached the outskirts of Konoha in the wee hours of the morning, at that in-between time when the sky was still black yet the faintest whisper of dawn could be seen on the horizon. Chakra suppressed and a powerful misdirection jutsu in place, Sasuke came to a stop in a particularly dense bit of foliage, taking in the familiar gates and high walls of the village he'd once called home. Eyes scanning the familiar turf, he was hit by a strange, crippling emotion, a nostalgia that he hadn't anticipated given the rage fomenting inside him.

 _It was probably Itachi's damned influence_ , he mused darkly. The questions his brother had pestered him with as they'd traveled had seemingly gone on for hours and had brought up a whole milieu of feelings against which he'd trained for a half-decade to harden himself. He fully realized that it was all likely another attempt on his brother's part to dissuade him from their mission. Itachi had said little about their new alliance with Tobi, but given how stridently he'd urged Sasuke to abandon his quest for revenge that first week they were traveling together, there could be little doubt as to where he stood on the matter. Nevertheless, with the added stimulus of the village gates before him, the memories flowed free… some sweet, some bitter, all painfully confusing in his current, contemplative state. _Standing next to his mother as he watched Itachi head out on his very first jounin mission, grinning with naïve pride at his beloved nii-san's proud posture, the epitome of the perfect Leaf shinobi…. Passing through those gates himself as a member of Team 7, trailing behind Kakashi with Sakura and Naruto by his side, the anticipation of his first C-rank mission making his heart pound in his chest despite his outwardly cool, calm, and collected affect…. Feeling relief, a modicum of peace each time he returned from an assignment, a sense of belonging that he now knew to be false…. Departing for Oto, leaving behind everything - his home, his team, a frustratingly difficult girl who didn't know when to quit - for a dark, uncertain path that had honestly terrified him..._

Sasuke shook his head dismissively. His specific target had changed drastically in recent weeks, thanks rather ironically to Orochimaru himself. But, at heart, the overall situation remained the same as it always had: The Uchiha clan had been grievously wronged, and _he_ would ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice… or die trying. It was his sworn duty, the thing that had driven him through the past decade, and he could let _nothing_ stop him. Not former teammates, not old memories, not long-forsaken loyalties, not mistaken affection, not idle musings about what could have been, not even the elder brother he so deeply respected.

And so, squaring his shoulders, Sasuke turned to meet said brother's gaze. Itachi's pale lips were slightly parted, activated eyes scanning Sasuke's face, as if searching for something. To the untrained eye, his gaze was neutral as ever, but Sasuke had learned something of his brother in the months they'd shared together. What was once opaque was now readable: He could see the anguish on Itachi's brow, almost hear the tormented beating of his heart, sense the profound suffering that had weighed him down for over a decade, and it inflamed his own bloodlust all the more, urging him to act. "I'll seek out... _the_ _jinchuuriki_. Alone. Meet you back here by sunrise." _Not to worry, nii-san; the nightmare will all be over soon._

For a moment, Itachi stood frozen, as if deaf to his words. Then he blinked once, gaze dropping to the forest floor as he bowed his head. "Very well. Take... _care_ , Sasuke."

With the briefest nod of acknowledgment, Sasuke closed the remaining distance to the front gates, chakra suppressed, a henge in place, and a powerful misdirection genjutsu overlaying that. As he crossed the threshold of the village, his eyes flicked instinctively to the guard box where a pair of Leaf shinobi sat, hitai-ate shining under the moonlight. Despite the reflexive quickening of his heart, Sasuke had no real reason to be nervous. From what he remembered, chunin were usually employed as guards, and the layers of jutsu shrouding his person ought to fool most at the jounin level. Indeed, as he passed swiftly by, neither man as much as blinked in his direction, with the shinobi on the left stifling a yawn. _Nothing more than genin's play, really._

Turning his attention from the guards, Sasuke wound his way down the silent, deserted streets of the village, eerily familiar despite the half-decade lapse in time. Passing by an unassuming stone bench still within sight of the front gates, the far too stirring memory of big, tear-filled green eyes assaulted his mind. _Tch, this was_ not _the time to entertain those ghosts_ , he chided himself fiercely, his frustration with his own mental weakness and Itachi's questioning growing. Once again, he willed himself to focus fully on the task at hand: the detainment of his other former teammate. Logistically speaking, it would be a simple enough endeavor. As he'd observed just a few months ago near Hidden Grass, the idiot was living in the past, still foolishly convinced that a few pretty words and a blinding smile would turn him from his vengeful course. _For some people could never let go… and, unfortunately for Naruto, he was about to pay for that deficiency with his life._ The emotional magnitude of what he'd been tasked to do was the biggest potential pitfall, as Itachi had sought to demonstrate on their travel into Konoha. _But that was nothing to worry about._ Those bonds were dead and gone… if he truly wished for revenge and the change to the shinobi order that Tobi had promised, he couldn't think otherwise.

As he approached the first strip of residences - a row of relatively cheap high-rises that he remembered housing a mixture of shinobi and civilians - Sasuke suddenly realized that he could _sense_ Naruto's chakra. It was a rather surprising development. After all, while his Sharingan granted him a certain faculty for seeing chakra, actual sensory work was a _far_ different skill, one for which he'd previously demonstrated no particular aptitude. Given that he'd just declared his bonds with his former teammates a thing of the past, the discovery was somewhat off-putting, speaking to a continued connection with the idiot that he was apparently unable to deny. _Or, perhaps, it was simply the immense chakra presence of the Kyuubi that he couldn't help but notice? Yes, that must be it._

With that momentary doubt quelled, Sasuke followed the signal, leading him up one of the main village avenues, down a side street, left, right, then another right to the same section of Konoha where he remembered Naruto living back when they'd been genin. Seeing as it had to be past four in the morning, he'd expected to find his target asleep in bed, so it was with more than a touch of surprise when he spotted the man stumbling down the otherwise deserted street, blonde hair and neon orange attire causing him to stand out brilliantly despite the dimness of the streetlights.

Sasuke approached silently, activated eyes locked on the bright red of the Uzumaki crest at the center of his adversary's back. Naruto was taller and broader than he remembered, which wasn't exactly surprising given that most of his memories dated back to their adolescence. He was also, judging from the unsteady footsteps and uncoordinated motions of his body, completely drunk. _The fool_ _had a target a mile wide on his head, and he let down his guard this easily? Tch, he remained even_ more _of an idiot than expected._

When he was within twenty-five feet of his companion, Sasuke cast his strongest masking jutsu around them both. Given the late hour and with a bit of luck, it would hopefully keep away any prying eyes. Then, swallowing the unwelcome lump that had risen unbidden in his throat, he dropped the misdirection jutsu and henge he was holding in place around himself, licked his lips, and spoke, willing his voice to remain smooth and steady despite the butterflies in his stomach. "Long time no see, _dobe_."

Despite his inebriated state, Naruto demonstrated decent reflexes, spinning immediately on his heels to meet Sasuke's gaze with his wide, slightly unfocused blue eyes. " _Sasuke_? Is that _really_ you?"

Meeting eyes with an Uchiha… it was a massive tactical error on the Uzumaki's part, one that Sasuke, rigid and mercenary in his approach, usually would have taken full and immediate advantage of. But something was stopping him tonight, urging him to allow this farce of a reunion to proceed for just a few minutes. He wasn't usually one to play with his food - that had really been Orochimaru's style - but there was something about their current circumstances that compelled him to speak, despite the added risk of the delay. _Besides, seeing how wasted Naruto was, he truly doubted that a few extra minutes would make any meaningful difference._ And so, he smirked back at the broad smile that had settled on Naruto's flushed face, as if he didn't have a concern in the world. "Ah. _Dattebayo_ ," he added coolly, remembering one of his companion's rather annoying catchphrases. "I've come back. I've killed Orochimaru. And... _Itachi_."

It didn't seem particularly convincing to _him,_ but the combination of alcohol and gullible optimism seemed to give his words more than enough clout in Naruto's ears. Grin widening, the blonde let out an enthusiastic whoop, bouncing on the balls of his feet and shooting his arms into the air in a celebratory fashion. " _Teme_! That's fantastic news! I always knew you'd be back. Everyone doubted you, but me and Sakura-chan… we never gave up! _Dattebayo!_ Oh, Sasuke, wait 'til Sakura-chan sees you. She's going to be so hap-"

Sasuke's stomach flipped violently at the mention of the kunoichi's name, the accompanying wave of guilt immediately bringing him to his senses. _That was quite enough of that_. Eyes blazing, he did what he _should_ have done in the first place, capturing Naruto in a rather elementary genjutsu of their continued conversation. Then, closing the remaining distance between them, he draped the comatose man over his own back, trying to ignore the feverish pounding of his heart and the unease settling over his spirit. _They might be five years' older, but Naruto was still every bit the former teammate he remembered - for better or for worse - and_ Sakura…

 _Tch. Sakura was an exceedingly dangerous distraction he could not afford to entertain. He had no business even_ thinking _about her._ For he and Tobi had their agreement. As long as the masked man did his part in punishing Konoha for its role in his clan's downfall and ensuring that such a travesty could never again occur, he intended to see his side of the equation through.

* * *

From his perch forty feet up a pine tree, Itachi watched the sun slowly rise over the Hokage Mountain, sky turning a disturbingly fitting shade of bloody red. Sasuke's foray into Konoha was taking a surprisingly lengthy amount of time, a fact that had both alarming and exciting implications. It was of course entirely possible that the _jinchuuriki_ had simply proven difficult to track down, but Itachi found his mind wandering over other, more interesting possibilities. _Had his last-ditch plan worked? Had the thought of turning his former teammate over to the Akatsuki been too much for Sasuke to take? Had he turned himself in… or been_ _apprehended?_ Based on what Itachi had witnessed, Sasuke's infiltration and espionage skills were ANBU level, but he was also somewhat reckless - a trait Kakashi had seemingly passed on to all three of his charges - and more than a little cocky. The average Konoha guard would have a tough time detecting him as long as he was careful, but become too casual, too sure of his abilities, and even the most talented shinobi could find himself between a rock and a hard place, particularly when sneaking through enemy turf.

 _If Sasuke_ was _in Konoha's custody, whether willingly or by force, what did that mean for Itachi himself?_ Between his illness and his brother's thirst for revenge, he'd never in his wildest dreams imagined living so long or ever truly having the opportunity to return to Konoha as a loyal shinobi. If Sasuke were to be reintegrated and the truth of what had transpired that night in Oto to come out, however, perhaps such an ending _would_ be possible after all. It wouldn't be easy, and signifianct barriers remained: the approaching threat of Pein, the still-present influence of Danzo, the fact that only a few souls in the village knew the truth being a few of the more key issues. But still, there was a modicum of hope. _And the thought of being able to lend his eyes to the cause of the coming struggle against Pein… of wearing the Leaf hitai-ate again… of living a peaceful life alongside his brother… of Sakura_

But it was not to be. For just as the sun was halfway clear of the carved sandstone cliffs, Itachi spotted his brother approaching, his Sharingan permitting him the ability to see through the layers of jutsu that masked him from the gate guards. To his great disappointment, his _otouto_ wasn't alone. The _jinchuuriki_ was with him, tuft of blonde hair just visible over Sasuke's left shoulder, the lolling of his head and firmness of his brother's grip on his comatose body both indicating that he was fully unconscious. For his part, Sasuke's expression was dark and steady, eyes focused straight ahead. His movements may have been slowed somewhat by the weight of his former teammate, but every step he took was full of intent, a silent, resounding commitment to Tobi's cause. _Dammit. Once again, his little brother had proven himself even more stubborn than anticipated._

Despite his frustrations, Itachi remained wordless, bounding from the branch on which he'd been keeping watch for the security of the dense forest, with Sasuke following some distance behind. _What next?_ Now that they had the _jinchuuriki_ in their possession, Itachi's escape options were growing few and far between, the web of the Akatsuki closing in around him. Reasoning had failed. Warnings had failed. Emotional bonds had failed. And in his weakened state, there was no way Itachi could overpower his brother, even if he wished to. Which left him with one last trick in his playbook…

Glancing over his shoulder, Itachi studied his brother's face… the gritty determination of his locked jaw, the smoldering hatred hidden just behind his presently dark eyes. _Now was the time to do it… before they got too close to the border, while they remained close enough within range of Konoha that a sudden, miraculous change of heart could still be capitalized on._ And so, he slowed his pace, dropping down to the ground from the treetops through which they'd been traveling. "Sasuke, I think we should rest."

His brother followed, eyes narrowing slightly, as if weighing his intent. "Rest _, nii-san_? Are you certain that that's _wise_?"

Itachi shrugged in feigned nonchalance. "Ah. Tobi can wait. We should be more than enough of a match for any pursuers. If they can even find us in the first place, that is."

"But just after we've captured… our _target_?" It was interesting how uncomfortable his _otouto_ seemed to be with stating Naruto's name. His outwards demeanor suggested utter ennui, but that disassociation coupled with the manner in which his lips quirked just the barest hit downwards left Itachi with the distinct impression that Sasuke was not entirely sanguine about the identity of their prisoner. The guilt was exactly what Itachi had wanted to see... but was it too little, too late? _Perhaps the little delay he had in mind would indeed break Tobi's hold._

"I find myself somewhat drained," Itachi replied, not missing the way that his companion's frown deepened at his dear _aniki's_ statement that he was feeling unwell. "The weather in Ame has never agreed with me." Sasuke might refuse to listen to him when it came to letting go of the past, but it had been clear from their first conversation in the Land of Waves that his brother cared deeply for him. After a decade of being reviled, Sasuke's renewed affection wasn't something Itachi had really wanted to cheapen or abuse through such manipulation. But time was running out - for Naruto, for Konoha, for Sasuke himself given the Curse of Hatred still affixed to his neck and Itachi's feeble chakra stores - and desperate times called for less savory measures. Besides, it was the truth, although he very much doubted that his brother had any idea how ill he was.

To Itachi's relief, his admission appeared to do the trick. Setting his comatose ex-teammate down gently against the base of a tree, Sasuke's eyes scanned his face carefully, lingering on his too-prominent cheekbones and the deep circles that he was certain had to be darkening his eyes. "Fine. Sleep, _nii-san_. I'll keep watch for the next couple of hours."


	31. The Copy Ninja's Secret

_[AN: Fyi, I almost titled this chapter "The Calm Before the Storm." Please enjoy the lull, because after this, things are liable to get a bit tense. Thanks to all who have commented, followed, and favorited this story... I appreciate the support! If you have any questions, comments, critiques, or other thoughts to share, the input is most welcome. Please note that the content of this particular chapter is most definitely rated M. Also, I still do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 31: The Copy Ninja's Secret**

Kakashi woke with a start to the early morning sun pouring in his blindless living room window. His body felt tired and stiff - _he was really getting too old to be sleeping on couches -_ and his mind somewhat fuzzy. Blinking away the sleep, he slowly rose up to a seated position, back crackling most satisfactorily. _Much better. Now, why in Kami's name had he spent the night on his own couch?_

As if to answer his question, images from last night flowed through his thoughts, a collage of pink hair, big green eyes, pouty lips, and a searing flash of lacy red panties. Shutting his eye at the absurdity of it all, he ran his left hand through his hair. _Hm… either he'd been_ far _drunker than he'd thought, or he'd promised dear Sakura-chan - a completely wasted, utterly miserable, very possibly horny Sakura-chan - that he'd talk to her about Uchiha Itachi. And kiss her. Without any excuses. Well. That was… not great._

Cracking his dark eye back open, Kakashi's gaze searched the room for the bottle of whiskey that he'd purchased yesterday afternoon, hoping to find that he'd consumed far more of the contents that he remembered. After all, it wouldn't be the first time his creative imagination and alcohol-fueled dreams had tried to get the better of him. To his great disappointment, however, the bottle sat on his kitchen table where he'd left it, with only a glass and a half missing. _So, it had all been real then… fuck. What_ had _he gotten himself into this time? And, more importantly, how was he going to get himself out of it?_

Kakashi's immediate urge was to sneak out. Given his ANBU espionage and infiltration background, it wouldn't be too difficult. Moreover, Sakura was guaranteed to be exceedingly hung over, and he seriously questioned whether she would even remember making it to his apartment, let alone their conversation. _Perhaps, if he wasn't around when she woke up, she'd just quietly see herself out, and they could pretend that none of it happened?_

However, as his rational mind assessed his knee-jerk reaction, the plan quickly fell flat. Even if Sakura _didn't_ remember a thing about last night's conversation, it seemed unlikely that she was going to wake up in a stranger's bed and _not_ have questions. In addition, leaving would undoubtedly play into those not altogether unreasonable insecurities about being despised and reviled for falling victim to Itachi's manipulations. And, more practically speaking, sneaking out of one's own apartment was a bit harder to pull off than that of a stranger's. Given that he lived there, he'd have to come back at some point, and, with Sakura's stubborn streak, he didn't doubt that she'd stick around until his return. Even if he got lucky and she did decide to leave, there was no way he could avoid her for very long given the confidante role Tsunade had assigned him. Besides, he _had_ told himself that he was going to be there for her, and skipping out as soon as things got a little messy would most definitely be despicable.

And so, with excuses and avoidance both crossed out of the Hatake playbook but not _really_ keen on jumping into the weeds of what they'd discussed the minute she came to, Kakashi considered his next-best option: a diversion. _It was a good thing he'd recently perfected his scrambled eggs recipe._

* * *

 _Dear Kami, who was hammering nails into the roof so early in the morning? And why did it smell like... bacon? How strange. She hadn't cooked bacon in_ years _on account of Tonton..._

With a pained groan, Sakura's pink lashes flicked open, the sunlight flooding the bedroom causing her to immediately clamp them shut again. Savoring the temporary return to darkness, she came to the exceedingly unpleasant realization that the hammering was no eager neighbor getting started on a weekend construction project. No, it was her _head_. _What had she_ done _last night? Challenged Choji to a spar and taken a blow to the cranium from one of his engorged fists?_

Squinting hard, Sakura willed herself to remember. The pain that came with thinking made her head pound _more_ , but she gradually found bits and pieces of the previous evening fluttering vaguely through her mind, almost as if the memories belonged to someone else. _Arriving at the Twisted Kunai with Ino.… Drinking way more sake that she should have (what_ had _she been thinking?)... Talking to… someone. Feeling exceedingly guilty about... something. Leaving. Going… somewhere else. Where?_

Aware that her current surroundings would probably help fill in at least one of those blanks, Sakura forced her eyes back open, shooting a bit of healing chakra through her temples in an effort to calm the pounding beneath her skull. It helped… to an extent. _Given her habits, her Shishou had to have developed some sort of special hangover cure jutsu. She'd have to remember to ask. Later. Now, she needed to figure out where exactly she'd spent the night._ Blinking a few times in an effort to acclimate herself, Sakura slowly peered around the room, careful not to make any sudden motions that might jostle her aching head.

At first glance, the decor was tasteful enough - neutral colors, medium wood furniture, light grey walls - but positively spartan, giving her little in the way of any obvious clues as to her host's identity. Well, actually, one thing _was_ clear. The lack of ornamentation and the shape and style of the bathrobe hanging over the closet door both suggested that she was in a man's bedroom. A _mature_ man's bedroom.

Suppressing the sudden urge to hurl through sheer force of will and telling herself to remain calm, Sakura's examined her surrounding more carefully: the bedside table with its generic metal lamp, the wooden door of the closet, the other latched door that presumably led to the rest of the apartment, and the dresser against the wall to her left. It was there that she finally found something of interest: a pair of framed photos. The first was startlingly familiar: The same picture of Team 7 that she kept on her own bedside table. And the second…

Like the first, it was clearly a genin team picture. But the slightly faded colors and the subtle differences in the clothing styles of the four shinobi pictured suggested that it was at least a decade older than the one featuring herself. Gingerly, Sakura raised herself to a seated position so that she could more easily see the faces, palms resting on the firm mattress for support. Bottom center was a mousy-haired girl with an infectious smile, flashing peace signs, the purple marks painted on her round cheeks reminding her a bit of the Inuzuka clan. To her left, stood a dark-haired boy whose features suggested that he was more than likely an Uchiha, although the terribly unfashionable orange goggles had her somewhat questioning that. At the twelve o'clock position was the man who was quite obviously their _sensei_ , spiky blonde hair reminding her stunningly of Naruto. And then, finally, on the right, was a masked boy with a shock of silver hair. His hitai-ate was on straight, his eyes matched one another, and his expression was far colder than she was accustomed to, but there could be no doubt about it. It was Hatake Kakashi. _She was in Kaka-sensei's bedroom. In his bed._

Sakura flopped back onto the pillows, the dizziness that resulted from the sudden motion telling her that it had been a very bad idea indeed. Shutting her eyes, she brought her hands to her temples and released a bit more chakra, the memories of the night becoming more concrete as her body further recuperated. _Reconnecting with to Naruto… feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the weight of her secrets… running to Kakashi's… babbling to her sensei about her confusion, her exhaustion, her fear of becoming an outcast, her... sex life? Oh gods, what had she done? She was_ never _drinking again!_

 _Although..._ if her hazy memories were in fact correct, their little chat hadn't actually gone all that terribly, particularly given the exceedingly sore subject matter. Well, yes, it was pretty mortifying to think that she'd revealed some of her deepest, most personal insecurities to Kakashi using language she'd _never_ employ sober and had also apparently demanded that he kiss her ( _who knew that too much sake would bring out her mostly latent Inner?_ ). But she didn't recall any sort of _real_ rejection on his part, despite how out of line she'd been. He'd been quite nice about it… a complete gentleman. _And, come to think of it, hadn't he said that he_ wanted _to kiss her? That he_ would _kiss her if she wished it, once she'd sobered up?_

She bit her lip, face growing warm at the thought. Ever since Ino had broached the matter that night in her studio, Sakura had been unable to entirely ignore the fact that Hatake Kakashi had an awful lot going for him. Of course, she'd been aware off his acumen as a shinobi for just about as long as she'd known him and had always considered herself lucky to have had him as a _sensei_ , even when playing third fiddle to Sasuke and Naruto during their genin days. But she'd come to see that there was far more to Kakashi than his brilliant, aloof Copy Ninja persona. As he'd demonstrated during their meals together over the past couple of months - asking about her work even though he _loathed_ the hospital, keeping things light whenever their conversation drifted too closely towards Uchiha territory, sharing often amusing, always enlightening glimpses into his own personal history - he was also a surprisingly kind, considerate, and thoughtful man in his own, admittedly quirky way. And... honestly? Maybe it was her exhaustion or the hangover talking, but the idea of having him kiss her… of being with him - in _that_ way - had come to have a certain appeal.

 _Was that wrong? Probably._ He had been her _sensei_ and was currently her _taichou_ , after all, and was also her senior by over a decade. _Did she care?_ That was less clear. After everything that had happened with Itachi, the very thought of being intimate with someone else was more than a little scary, particularly when that someone happened to be _another_ older, S-ranked shinobi with a storied ANBU record of his own. But she also couldn't let what had happened with Itachi haunt her… she _refused_ to let that happen. And being with someone whom she _trusted_ … whom she knew would never use her… who respected her, cared for her as a _person_ first and foremost… well, it was a stunningly attractive concept that she certainly wouldn't mind exploring further.

And it seemed she was about to have the chance to do so, for soft footsteps were coming down the hall. Then, the paces stopped, the knob turned, and the bedroom door across from her slowly swung open to reveal the object of her thoughts, shock of silver hair even more bedhead-y than usual and charcoal eye crinkling amiably, carrying a tray laden with eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, and juice that had her forgotten stomach rumbling.

* * *

As Kakashi stood in the doorway of his bedroom, he found his eye irresistibly drawn to the woman in his bed. Her candy pink hair was mussed from what the state of the bedsheets suggested had been a long night of tossing and turning, her make-up decidedly smudged (probably all over his favorite pillow), and her green eyes bleary from what had to be one hell of a hangover. And yet, despite the fact that she was a complete and total mess who had turned his usually tidy bed into a bird's nest, he couldn't help but smile beneath his mask, the attraction he'd been nursing for several months blazing alongside a strange, masculine possessiveness that he probably owed to Pakkun's insufferable influence.

Suppressing all that with a soft clearing of his throat, Kakashi inclined his head slightly in greeting, hands occupied with the breakfast bonanza he'd spent the past half-hour throwing together. He'd never _really_ been the type for romantic breakfasts in bed… but there was nothing _romantic_ about his relationship with Sakura - _better keep telling himself that_ \- and _he_ always found a nice breakfast with a generous pour of coffee the best hangover cure. "Yo."

"Morning, Kaka-sensei." Sakura's voice was soft and a bit timid, pretty much on the mark of what he'd expected after last night's theatrics. Then… "That bacon smells _amazing_."

He chuckled at her somewhat abashed grin. "Mm… far be it for me to keep you from it then." Fully entering the room, he presented her with the tray and then retreated back to the doorway, watching with half an eye over the top of _Icha Icha Tactics_ as she rapidly devoured the meal. All things considered, she seemed to be faring fairly well. Indeed, other than the decidedly unusual setting, the fact that she had on a rather wrinkled party dress, and the deep circles under her eyes, it was more or less business as usual. _Perhaps she'd forgotten completely about the conversation that had transpired between them last night?_ That _was_ what he'd been hoping would happen when he'd woken up that morning, but now that she was before him, in his bed, he found himself somewhat disappointed.

Popping the last bite of egg into her mouth, Sakura set down her fork onto the now empty white plate. "Thank you for breakfast, _sensei_." A delicate flush crept over her cheeks. "And for… _taking care of me_ last night. I'm sorry if I was a bother."

 _So she_ did _remember. At least, some of it._ Tucking his book back into his pocket, he shrugged. "Ah, it's nothing, Sakura-chan. We've all had one or two of those nights." _Or twenty._ "What good is an ex- _sensei_ who doesn't have a hangover cure or two up his sleeve?"

"Mm…" Sakura watched him pensively, green eyes somewhat brighter post-meal and full lips pursed in thought. Then, her gaze drifted to the dresser at his left, drifting meaningfully over the sole adornments. "You know, I keep that photo in my room too… on my bedside table," she murmured wistfully, nodding her head slightly at the frame containing their Team 7 photo. "It's nice to see us all together. The second, though... I've never seen your genin team before. Is that... _Rin_?"

"Hai." A vaguely uncomfortable lump rose into his throat, the same one he always got when discussing his past, but he swallowed hard, willing the sensation to go away. In an effort to draw out Sakura, he'd started dropping little things about himself during their meals together, using the classic give-and-take interrogation method he employed during his ANBU days (albeit, _far_ more softly than it was usually applied by T&I agents). Accustomed to a lifetime of keeping all personal information under a metaphorical lock and key, unmasking himself wasn't easy, even when it came to trivialities. But there was also a strange relief in sharing (which was probably why the med-nin corps included a whole team of therapists, come to think of it), and Sakura was quite receptive, which didn't actually come as much of a surprise given how interested she, Naruto, and even Sasuke had seemed to be in his personal affairs as genin.

Clearly emboldened by his response, Sakura's gaze flitted slightly to the left, settling on Obito. "And the other boy… he was an Uchiha, neh?"

Kakashi hummed in agreement, heartbeat quickening in his chest. "Uchiha Obito." Then, a sudden compulsion to say more fell over him. "You've seen his eye before. The most precious gift anyone has ever given me."

" _Oh._ " Green eyes widened in surprise, flicking up from the framed photo to meet his steady gaze. "I'd always wondered how…"

"You're certainly not the only one. The Uchiha clan elders were none too pleased."

Sakura hummed knowingly, before turning her attention back to the photo. "I don't know if I ever realized before who your _sensei_ was… the Yondaime Hokage, neh?" Kakashi nodded. _Might as well round out the team_. "It's funny… I've never seen a _picture_ of him before, just the carving on the Hokage Mountain. He looks _remarkably_ like Naruto."

"Ah, the genetics don't lie. Naruto is Minato-sama's son. Uzumaki was his mother's name." He was technically giving away classified information, but with everything Sakura had come to know over the past few months, given that she was well aware that Naruto was the Kyuubi's container, and being the blonde's close friend and teammate, he didn't really see the harm in telling her. _She was already in so deep; how much could a little more hurt?_

A look of sheer amazement shot across her face, pink lips rounding slightly in stunned surprise. "Does Naruto-kun know?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I suspect not, unless he's guessed. For better or worse, the Sandaime made the decision not to tell him for his own security, and your _Shishou_ has kept that policy in place in deference to her _sensei's_ wisdom. Few in the village know of the connection." He could go on, but that was probably quite enough of that. _Any more, and he'd have to turn himself in to Tsunade-sama for leaking._ Besides, last night had revealed some new, rather concerning features of Sakura's current mental state that he felt compelled to address, if he could. And, of course, a far more selfish part of him _did_ rather want to get to the bottom of whether or not she remembered the whole kiss business. Shifting gears, his gaze sharpened, arms crossing across his chest. "Sakura, how much do you actually recall about last night?"

Her somewhat wan cheeks flushed an immensely pleasing shade of bright pink, and she squirmed slightly on his bed in obvious embarrassment. "Too much… just about _everything_ , I think," she admitted, nervously nibbling on her lip.

Kakashi nodded, mind running over the talk he'd sketched out while preparing her breakfast. _Well, he'd already discussed his genin team with her; might as well take an even deeper dive into his ancient history. Here went nothing._ "Well, Sakura, the concerns you expressed last night are _reasonable_. I do not doubt that there are those who would fault you for what transpired with Uchiha Itachi. But a seasoned shinobi - one who truly understands what you were up against - will know the truth. You've become a formidable kunoichi in your own right, but Itachi-san… there's a reason he was the youngest Konoha nin to have ever been inducted into ANBU. His combat skills are formidable and his eyes legendary, yet his mind and his ability to control and manipulate situations may very well be his most impressive assets."

Kakashi swallowed uncomfortably, painfully aware of Sakura's haunting emerald eyes boring into him. Nevertheless, he plowed onward, his conviction that she needed to hear this far outweighing his personal discomfort with what he was about to divulge. "As I told you several weeks ago now, I myself am extremely well acquainted with Uchiha Itachi. He was one of my reports during his early ANBU days, a close friend up until the time of the Massacre, and in those final days almost _..._ _more_. And yet, despite my... _familiarity_ with the man, his actions have remained a mystery to me for the past decade. I stand by what I told you in Oto: No one except Uchiha Itachi himself truly understands his motives."

Sakura frowned at that, a shadow of the frustration she'd expressed last night coming over her face. "So you have no idea what happened in Sound either?"

"I have no concrete idea, but I do have a theory. Given the amount of time that has passed and the evidence we do have, we should presume the worst. But it would not _surprise_ me if there is more to this puzzle than meets the eye… if something happened that night that Itachi hadn't expected, if Sasuke proved to be less malleable than hoped and somehow learned the truth about the Uchiha Massacre, forcing Itachi to unexpectedly correct course. That is all, of course, unconfirmable speculation, and you should not get your hopes up. The takeaway is that you should not _blame_ yourself for what has transpired. I challenge any shinobi in Konoha, no matter the rank, to come out of the situation in which you found yourself unscathed."

* * *

As Kakashi spoke, Sakura found her heartbeat quickening, the adrenaline suddenly coursing through her veins doing much to negate the remaining sluggishness of her hangover. Words of comfort were nothing new from her _sensei_ ; they'd been a more or less constant part of their relationship since her earliest genin days. But in the past, they'd usually been brief and simple, the sort of throwaway statements he obviously didn't put much thought into. _But this… it was so raw, so honest, so clearly heartfelt._ And the fact that he had just _willingly_ told her about his mysterious genin teammates, his own _sensei,_ _and_ the full nature of his relationship with Itachi without any sort of prompting… well, she wasn't really sure _what_ to think.

Actually, she did know one thing. The _relief_ that flooded her spirit on hearing that Kakashi genuinely didn't believe that she was to blame and that he himself still held doubts regarding the true motives of Uchiha Itachi was positively delightful. The sting of betrayal and knowledge that she'd been used and manipulated didn't vanish by any stretch of the imagination - nothing but time itself would make those seeming facts hurt less - but the guilt and self-doubt were resoundingly quelled, leaving her feeling lighter and less burdened than she'd been in months, not to mention deeply appreciative of her _sensei_. For Kakashi had never been a sharer, and the fact that he was willing to open up to her like this, for _her_ own good, set her heart aflutter. Wondering how she could ever truly express how much it meant, Sakura willed herself to find her voice. " _Thank you_ , _sensei_ ," she murmured, a small yet genuine smile finding its way to her lips, "I know it might sound silly, but hearing that from _you_ …"

"Ah, it's nothing, Sakura-chan. Anything for my favorite ex-student, you know."

 _Oh Kami, the look in his visible eye. Who knew that a man who keep the vast majority of his face concealed could convey so much affection in his expression?_

Deep down, Sakura could feel the hunger from earlier stirring, a confusing, heady _want_ for the man across the room. He was her superior… but they were also both consenting adults and full-fledged Konoha shinobi. After Itachi, she wasn't ready… but perhaps being with another whom she knew would never hurt her was exactly what she needed. _Was that unfair to Kakashi himself, though? Wouldn't she be using him just like Itachi may or may not have used her… for personal gain?_

 _No._ He wanted her; after last night, she knew that. But what did he _really_ want with her? He didn't seem the type to have any interest in settling down: His condo suggested that he was a bonafide bachelor, and, courtesy of Ino, she was aware of his proclivity for casual flings. _Was she okay with that?_ Four months ago, she'd found the mere concept of outside-of-a-relationship sex a bit distasteful _._ But after the nightmare ending of whatever she'd had with Itachi and given that this was _Kakashi_ she'd be jumping into bed with, a man she trusted, respected, and admired, not some random shinobi looking for a quick tumble with the Godaime's pink-haired apprentice, well…

Sakura's eyes ran over Kakashi's familiar form once more, the shock of silvery hair, the swatch of forehead, the patient charcoal eye, the masked jawline, the slightly slouchy jounin duds that couldn't entirely disguise his powerful body. She wet her lower lip, willing away the nervous butterflies inside her. "Kakashi… last night, I seem to recall demanding that you kiss me."

The Copy Ninja scratched the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly at that, and she suspected from his body language that there was a decidedly sheepish grin underneath his mask. "Ah, yes, you may have said something like that," he admitted airily, eye flicking away from hers, as if he didn't want her to see his reaction.

"And you refused," Sakura continued, ignoring his discomfort for the time being. "But you told me that, this morning, if I still wanted it, you would be agreeable."

"Mah, Sakura-chan, you were drunk last night. And I shouldn't have said that… I got carried away. You shouldn't feel under any pressure…"

 _That definitely wasn't a no._ Emboldened by his hesitancy, Sakura sat up a little straighter in the bed, a small, somewhat shy smile teasing its way across her lips. "I don't. And I still do."

"Hm?" His charcoal eye flicked back to meet her gaze, the lazy attitude fading away instantly, replaced be a certain, somewhat dark intensity that threatened to take her breath away. But she refused to let that happen until she finished what she had to say.

"Kakashi" - and yes, he was just _Kakashi_ now; he hadn't been her _sensei_ for some time, much as she liked the honorific - "If _you_ want to, I'd like it if you kissed me."

Kakashi let out a long, low sigh and swallowed hard enough that she could see his Adam's apple bob beneath his mask. "Very well." In a flash, he closed the distance between them, crossing the room and settling himself on the edge of the bed, his subtle scent of evergreen and mint enveloping her senses. With a surprisingly roguish eye crinkle, he leaned in, strong arms pulling her in for an embrace that had her shutting her eyes in anticipation and…

 _He kissed her on the cheek_. For what couldn't have been longer than three seconds. Through his mask, by the feel of it.

Well, that was _not_ what she'd been expecting. But it was all so _Kakashi_ , she couldn't help but let out a little giggle despite her nervousness. He released her shoulders and turned to face her, appearing somewhat wary but also like he was rather pleased with his little joke. "You know, that wasn't _really_ what I'd had in mind, _sensei_ ," she murmured softly, allowing the barest hint of impatience to creep into her tone.

"Oh, what _do_ you have in mind, _Sakura_?" came the reply, so rough, low, and delightfully masculine that it sent a shiver up her spine and a flush to her cheeks.

 _He had to know. It was pretty obvious, wasn't it?_ But it appeared that he wanted her to say _it_. Which was extremely reasonable, actually, given the nature of their superior-subordinate relationship, all that had transpired in her life over the past couple of months, and his own, admirable decency. And so, stifling the natural embarrassment that came over her at the thought of putting her physical desires to words, Sakura took a deep breath and let the words flow. "Kakashi... I want you to kiss me… to hold me… to… _make love_ to me, if you'll have me. To show me how it feels to be with someone who cares, who _doesn't_ wear a mask, even if you choose to leave yours on the whole time. I know what I'm asking you for is _a lot_ , that there are probably Shinobi Rules that forbid this, and that you may very well consider me a silly little kunoichi who doesn't know what she's getting herself into. But I'm _not_. I know what I'm doing… what I want. I _don't_ expect anything serious to come from this, and I fully realize that this will need to stay between us, particularly given your posit- "

Her heart leapt into her throat, cutting her off mid-sentence as Kakashi's strong arms wrapped themselves around her slender torso, pulling her in towards his warm chest. Then, his lips were upon hers, with a hunger that confirmed once and for all that the desire was mutual. Sakura sighed into the kiss, her arousal curling through her body at the softness of his lips, the contrasting authority of his tongue, the tantalizing nip of his teeth…

 _Teeth… tongue… lips? What about his mask?_ Pink lashes flitted open in shock, lips parting with some regret from his. She didn't mean to stare or make a big deal about it… but she _had_ wondered for years _._ Curiosity getting the better of her, her gaze dropped downwards, running over a perfectly straight nose, surprisingly full lips, and a jawline that was every bit as impressive as the mask that had covered it hinted it would be. _What_ was _he thinking, hiding away a face like_ that _?_

Kakashi's lips quirked upwards in evident amusement, revealing surprisingly straight, white teeth for one who abhorred medics. "Mah, Sakura-chan, the look on your face…" he teased, as if he _hadn't_ just sated a curiosity she'd been nursing since she was twelve, "One would think you'd never seen a beauty mark before." For he did, indeed, have a little mole on the left side of his face… and a _dimple_. _And, oh, the slightly crooked smile, the way his face animated, so utterly handsome with devilish bemusement…. Well, there could be no doubt about it_. Her _sensei_ was a _masterpiece_.

* * *

As his roughened hands traced their way over Sakura's body, relieving her of the little red party dress she'd spent the night in to reveal her pale, feminine form, Kakashi sought to ignore the doubts that mingled strangely with his arousal. _Pervert… look at you, well on your way to fucking your former student,_ murmured a foul, ugly voice, threatening to distract him from the sensuous lips pressing insistently against his, the small, dexterous fingers that had made quick work of his shirt and were now more-or-less finished with his pants, the eroticism of the delightful gasp that escaped her throat as he unclipped her bra and brought his hands to tease her perky nipples. _He shouldn't be doing this… people would talk. But since when had he been one who cared about gossip? And why did anyone else need to know what transpired in his bedroom in the first place?_ As he'd come to see over the past months, Sakura - _his_ Sakura-chan - was no child, cutesy nicknames and old-habit honorifics aside. This woman wanted him… _needed_ him for a reason, a reassurance, that he could not deny. _And he so utterly desired her, as well_ …

Now that the line had been crossed, it was all happening fast. Her hands found the waistband of his briefs, and then his hips were rising up to assist her, breath hitching in his chest at the sensation of those familiar hands brushing against his erection enticingly. After that, he was pulling her towards him on the bed, removing the last of her clothing: those sinful, lacy red panties that he'd inadvertently glimpsed last night. His greedy eyes ran over her naked form, Sharingan committing the gentle curves and curly patch of pink to memory. And then Sakura in all her bare glory was making her way into his lap, expression all at once shy and knowing… _and, gods, how he wanted to bury himself in her over and over and over again…_

 _But no._ _There was something else he wanted to do first._ For Kami knew that he intended to take care of her _properly_ , give her every bit of the pleasure, satisfaction, and _care_ that she had so earnestly requested. And so, Kakashi detangled himself from Sakura's eager embrace and guided her to lay face-up on the bed, noting with some bemusement the vague surprise on her face. "All in good time," he commented with a grin, reconfiguring himself as he kissed his way down her nose, lips, sensitive neck, heaving chest, and toned stomach until his body rested between her lean legs. Looking up into her heated emerald eyes, he trailed kisses from inner thigh to inner thigh, delighting at the eager cooes that erupted from her kiss-swollen lips, hands holding her hips firmly in place so that she couldn't squirm away.

"Kakashi… what are you _doing_?" she breathed as his mouth finally found its way to her core, slowly and thoroughly acquainting itself with each and every fold before seeking out her sensitive bud. As he moved his way to tease her clit, he felt her body tense, a somewhat embarrassed whine falling from her lips - _so, this was new ground for her -_ before she lost herself in the pleasure of his ministrations, hips rocking and rolling against him as soft sighs shifted to full-throated moans that sent jolt after jolt of electricity straight to his cock. Unsurprisingly authoritative hands tangled their way through his wild hair, spurring him onwards to tease her entrance, and his arousal grew still greater at the discovery that she was drenched. _For him_. Then, his index finger took the place of his tongue, the latter returning to her nub. A come hither motion from the one, a bit more teasing interspersed with long, hard licks to keep her off balance from the other, and her moans transitioned to desperate, high-pitched cries as her hips bucked wildly, her grip on his hair growing so tight that it was somewhat painful.

He kept up his pace as Sakura rode out her orgasm, her faced flush, eyes tightly shut, mouth open in a primal wail, and thighs leaving him little choice in the matter (not that he truly minded). Then, with a final nuzzle, Kakashi withdrew slightly to rest between her legs, gently stroking her sides and savoring the euphoria etched on her flushed face as her breathing normalized and she slowly drifted back down to earth. After a few deep breaths of quiet, she shivered slightly, and long, pink lashes fluttered open, her delicate blush deepening as their eyes met. "That was… _amazing_ ," she murmured, voice low and sweet. And the _contentment_ that shown over her features made him a very happy man, for there had always been something deeply satisfying about being able to bring his partner to such heights.

At the same time, however, much as he wished to keep himself focused entirely on her, his own need had been pressing rather insistently into his mattress for some time now. And seeing Sakura spread out before him in all her post-climactic breathiness was making the situation more... _urgent_. Kakashi slowly kissed his way back up the kunoichi's body, the soft sighs she released music to his ears. After planting several heated kisses along her sensitive neck, he trailed his way up to her ear. "Any interest in round two, Sakura-chan?" he asked heatedly, painfully aware of how velvety soft and cool her left thigh felt against his erection.

"Mm… _please_ ," came the most welcome reply, lithe arms winding their way around his shoulders and legs around his hips. He could feel her warm heat against him, and it was absolutely everything he craved. Shifting himself into position, he slowly sank down into her, the throaty little whine she released in welcome spurring his lust to greater heights. The temptation to claim her hard and fast, to drive himself to completion, was almost overwhelming in its intensity. _But no, this was Sakura… he had promised that he would take care of her, and he intended to see that through_.

And so, despite his more carnal instincts and the heated fucking to which most of his past flings had accustomed him, Kakashi set a slow, leisurely pace, hips gently easing himself into her before languidly withdrawing. As he moved, he covered her neck and collarbones in gentle kisses that soon had her rocking wantonly against him, quivering and mewing her ecstasy. And the knowledge that _he_ was bringing her to this state of delirious madness slowly but undeniably built him up towards his own peak, hips continuing their rhythmic undulations, lips and tongue steady in their assault, sensitive nose delighting at the light scent of honeysuckle that he'd come to so closely associate with _her_.

It was on a particularly deep thrust in that Kakashi suddenly felt Sakura's lips lean in close to his ear, breath hot, heated, and erotically ticklish. " _Sensei_ … I want _more_ …"

 _Oh fuck. He was definitely going to hell for how much_ that _had turned him on._ But it was hard to care about anything like eternal damnation at the moment, for the woman below him had needs and he was only too happy to oblige. Raising himself onto his forearms, he quickened his pace, his awareness of Sakura's tightening core growing with each drive inward, her cries increasing in timbre, pink little tongue darting out to wet her lower lip. That response was certainly enthusiastic, but he had more he could give. And so, thanking Kami for the flexibility of the kunoichi's body, he rose up onto his knees, catching Sakura's legs and bringing them up to rest over his shoulders.

And _that..._ was _perfection_. She was so delightfully, sinfully responsive to his every motion, that he soon found himself losing control. An impassioned, unintelligible cry from Sakura ushered in his release, and then he was driving into her with abandon, all sense of control gone, her mint-green chakra completely flooding his senses, her pale body a vision he would remember to his dying day. Perhaps it was all a gross violation of the shinobi rules... but with those starry, emerald eyes gazing up at him, all the tension that she'd been carrying on her brow for months gone, he'd make the same decision again. A thousand times, if need be.


	32. The Attack

_[AN: Thank you as always for the positive feedback on my previous installment! I've read my fair share of KakaSaku, but this has been my first foray into writing the pairing, so I'm glad/relieved that the general consensus has been favorable so far. As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto. Without further ado, on with the next chapter!]_

 **Chapter 32: The Attack**

The next few hours were a complete blur. Immediately after her… _session_ with Kakashi, it took Sakura's body a good few minutes to come down from the high he'd left her with. And, of course, the lingering effects of the previous night's less-than-stellar sleep didn't exactly help matters. Fortunately, Kakashi didn't appear to mind in the least. In fact, it seemed that she wasn't the only one worn out from their activities (which was fair; he had spent the night on the couch, after all). Efficiently tucking her bare body fully under the covers, his warm, comforting right arm wrapped loosely across her waist, he soon ended up joining her in a cat nap that carried them both into the latter part of the morning, until a particularly vocal gurgle from one of their stomachs - given the resonance, she _really_ hoped it was him - roused her.

Glancing over her shoulder, Sakura smiled softly at the still slumbering man beside her, taking the opportunity to better appraise her situation (and, admittedly, sneak another peek at his unfairly handsome face). She was more than a little in awe of what exactly had transpired between them. After all, as recently as a week ago she'd been telling off Ino for even suggesting that she and Kakashi could _ever_ been an item. But it was a pleasant, warming sort of surprise… definitely the "good" kind. _Mm… and he really was gorgeous. It was funny how blind she'd been to it back when he'd just been Kaka-sensei,_ she found herself sleepily musing. _Blame it on the mask._ Her eyes trailed appreciatively over his features: his silvery shock of hair that was so, delightfully bedheady; the peacefulness of his expression; the perfectly proportioned nose; the lips that had given her so much pleasure; the strong shoulder poking out over the top of the bedsheets. Even the scar on his face, bisecting his left eye, seemed to heighten his attractiveness, giving him a somewhat roguish look that appealed to the kunoichi side of her on an instinctive level.

Mind more fully waking up, Sakura found her thoughts gradually beginning to turn towards parallel situations from her recent past, Itachi's long, dark lashes and sensuous lips swimming before her. With a wave of revulsion, however, she dismissed the vision. _No. He had no place here._ This _was her present, and she wouldn't let her past ruin that._ Instead, to take her treacherous mind off of _him_ , she began to replay the morning in her memory. Waking up in Kakashi's bed, breakfast, their talk, and then their romp, her cheeks growing warm as she remembered everything he'd done with his lips… his tongue… his hands… his body… his…

A soft yet insistent knock jolted her out of her increasingly dirty thoughts. Heart leaping into her throat, Sakura quickly suppressed her chakra signature, wishing not for the first time that she'd mastered the Body Flicker technique _._ She was in no way, shape, or form embarrassed by having slept with Kakashi: In fact, she'd do it again if he was amenable. But Kakashi was her current _taichou_ and former _sensei_ , which meant that she could most definitely _not_ afford to be discovered naked and well fucked in his bed.

On any normal occasion, such an arrangement would have been considered more than a little scandalous and earned them some embarrassing coverage in village gossip circles. Given Kakashi's reputation and the fact that Tsunade was almost certainly grooming him to be her successor, however, the stakes were far higher. The Elders might be quite liberal when it came to secretly ordering the slaughter of entire clans at the dead of night - given Jiraiya's, Tsunade's, and Kakashi's reactions, she still believed that chunk of Itachi's story - but they were decidedly conservative when it came to matters of public reputation. As the Uchiha massacre showed, as long as unethical behavior occurred behind closed doors, they were willing to excuse almost anything. But the minute something untoward was public knowledge - Tsunade's drinking and gambling and Jiraiya's side gig as an author of eroticism, being two prime examples - they were _not_ happy campers. And the last thing Sakura wanted to do was to throw her _sensei's_ candidacy for Rokudaime Hokage in jeopardy. Even if he was more likely than not dreading the appointment.

Fortunately, Kakashi, with those brilliant shinobi reflexes of his, was already fully awake and attuned to the situation. Giving her a surprisingly sweet kiss, he was on his feet in seconds, shrouding his decidedly attractive body in the grey robe that had been hanging on the door of his closet. "Be right back," he murmured with a roguish wink and a melting smile before ducking out of the room and latching the bedroom door firmly behind him.

Sakura listened with bated breath, mourning the loss of his body heat despite her nerves, as Kakashi's footsteps faded down the short hallway to his living room and his front door creaked open. She was able to make out his usual "Yo!" followed by something or other that she'd bet her life was an excuse. Then, their unexpected visitor was speaking. Try as she might, she couldn't catch any actual words, but she could make out the tone. It was definitely a man… a very familiar-sounding man, actually.

She strained her ears a bit harder as a low rumble from Kakashi was followed by another intonation from the unknown shinobi. _Wait… did he say "troublesome?"_ If so, it pretty much had to be Shikamaru. _But what was Shika doing at Kakashi's condo?_ It wasn't unheard of for chunin and jounin to intermingle; the shinobi social scene simply wasn't that large, and the fact that the Nara heir was a part of her cohort meant that he and her _sensei_ were casually acquainted. However, Kakashi tended to be a bit of a hermit, Shikamaru wasn't particularly outgoing either, and Sakura couldn't recall ever seeing the pair of them spend time together before. _Perhaps it was some sort of mission?_ Tsunade had recruited the Nara heir to assist with Hokage tower business about a half-year ago now. If so, it was terrible luck. For that look Kakashi had given her as he'd exited the bedroom had definitely put the thought of another round into her head. Thanks to the drain of his transplanted Sharingan, her former _sensei_ wasn't exactly known for his chakra stores, but she suspected that his sexual stamina was apt to be far more impressive, and she'd been rather hoping to test that little theory out...

Well, she'd have her answer (hopefully about both points) soon enough. A few more quick words were exchanged, the front door was shut, and then Kakashi's familiar footsteps were coming back down the hall. Suddenly somewhat self-conscious, Sakura ran her hand through her pink hair. _It was probably a mess. But Kakashi's always was too, so he shouldn't mind. Hm… hopefully, she didn't smell, though. His nose was quite sensitive, and she had gotten a little sweaty during their activities..._

The bedroom door swung open, and Kakashi entered. She was somewhat disappointed to see that his mask was back on, but that was really only to be expected. After all, just because _she'd_ seen his face didn't mean he was going to sudden deign to allow the rest of the world a peek. Her eyes flicked up to meet his gaze, and she frowned slightly at the realization that he looked a bit… _stressed_. Which was pretty unusual for him, suggesting that something was seriously worrying him. _Perhaps Shika's visit had indeed been mission related. Or… they hadn't really had a chance to talk about what happened yet. Maybe he thought she'd regret what they'd done?_

Giving the man before her what she hoped was a reassuring smile, Sakura moved to sit up, the covers falling off of her chest as she did so. She felt her cheeks start to heat up and reached for the sheets, but quickly stopped herself. _No. Acting embarrassed about her body would give him the wrong idea. Besides, it wasn't like he_ hadn't _seen them before._ "Kakashi… if it's me who has you looking so wary, there's nothing to worry about," she murmured softly. "This was what I wanted, and I don't regret any of it. As I told you before, I don't expect any -"

Kakashi ran his right hand through his messy hair distractedly, a momentary warmth flitting through his charcoal eye that too quickly faded back to concern. "Mah, Sakura-chan, relieved as I am to hear that, I'm afraid that our recent activities are not actually what have me worried. That was Nara Shikamaru with a summons. I realize that this is going to come as even more of a shock to you than it did to me, but it seems that _Naruto_ has... gone missing. You and I are both to report to Tsunade-sama's office at once."

Sakura let out an audible gasp, a wave of absolute panic taking over her body, chasing all happy thoughts to the furthest reaches of her mind. _Oh, Kami, Naruto-kun! There wasn't a moment to lose!_

* * *

Kakashi leapt from Konoha rooftop to rooftop, close on Sakura's dress sandal-clad heels. They probably made quite the incriminating pair at that moment - his hair wilder than ever in that distinctive, just-been-fucked sort of way; her still clad in the eye-catching little party dress she'd shown up at his apartment in last night; both of them with deep circles under their eyes and unwashed bodies reeking of sex (at least to his sensitive nose) - but it was honestly hard to care given their teammate's sudden disappearance. Shikamaru had said nothing specific to clue him in on what exactly had transpired, but the Nara's grave look coupled with the recent spate of _jinchuuriki_ abductions and the fact that Sasuke had joined the Akatsuki's efforts was really all the information he needed. Their decision to leave Naruto in the dark about the Uchiha's current activities in order to keep him fully focused on Sage Mode training was turning out to be an absolutely disastrous gamble, and he a massive let down to his own _sensei's_ legacy. _Was he truly such a poor excuse for a shinobi that he couldn't protect Minato-sama's son?_

As they came to the last row of buildings before the gates to the Hokage's tower, Sakura dropped down to the ground, pink hair fanning out behind her as she raced through the gates and across the courtyard at top speed, completely ignoring the surprised glances of the guards. For a few, blissful minutes as they dashed through the courtyard and up the first few flights of stairs of the tower, Kakashi allowed the scent of her honeysuckle shampoo to transport him back to the scene in his bedroom just a few hours prior, an admittedly welcome distraction from the dark mental space his brain currently occupied. _It had been good… really good. He'd do it again in a heartbeat, damn the consequences, if she so desired. But of course, that was really all up to her..._

Forcing his mind to return to the present now that they were only one floor below their destination, Kakashi scaled the final set of stairs leading up to Tsunade's office three at a time so that he and Sakura reached the ANBU guards side by side. "Urgent business," he breathed by means of a vague explanation to the stork-masked man on the left as they came to a brief stop before the duo.

They'd clearly been briefed, for the guard nodded silently in acknowledgment, his partner already getting the door. Sakura slipped in first with a rushed, " _Arigato_ , ANBU-san!" and Kakashi followed, swiftly assessing the scene that met them inside the office.

Assuming that they'd been summoned as part of a four-man squad, he and Sakura were the last to arrive. Tsunade sat behind her desk, mouth set in a grim line and forehead so deeply furrowed that it looked almost physically painful. Over her right shoulder hovered Shizune, ghostly pale, with a white-knuckled grip on her clipboard and unadulterated dread radiating from her wide, dark eyes. Sai and Yamato were also there, the former seemingly serene as ever - although there was a certain stiffness in the way he was holding his shoulders that suggested some modicum of discomfort - while the latter's usually neutral face bore a similarly concerned expression as Shizune's.

" _Senpai_ ," the wood jutsu user murmured by means of a greeting, dark eyes widening further as they trailed over Sakura first and then Kakashi's own disheveled appearance. Judging from Tsunade's exceedingly weary, yet knowing half-nod and the momentary surprise that crossed Shizune's face at the sight of Sakura's attire, everyone in the room (but possibly Sai) had picked up on the sudden shift in their relationship. Usually, Kakashi would have been grateful for _any_ sort of distraction from such a scenario. Between Yamato's teetotalling nature and Shizune's protectiveness over her fellow apprentice, he didn't doubt that he'd be receiving lectures of epic proportions from at least two directions at some future point in time, and Tsunade would probably have a pithy word or two to say on the matter as well. However, at that moment, the harshest chewing out in Fire Country would have been preferable to what they'd been gathered to discuss.

As the door softly clicked shut, Tsunade wet her lips, the light in her honey eyes darkened by a deep-seated pain. Jiraiya had previously mentioned to him that the Godaime saw something of her little brother in Naruto, and, from a purely mercenary standpoint, she obviously couldn't ignore the political implications of the loss of Konoha's _jinchuuriki_ , either. But the seeming depth of her anguish had him wondering if something _else_ had transpired. After all, while his former student was most certainly in profound danger, Shikamaru had said that he was _missing_ , not dead, and Tsunade, while never one to mask her emotions, wasn't usually the type to admit defeat so quickly. _Had she received further intelligence regarding Naruto's status? Or perhaps… there was something even_ worse _on her mind?_

Fortunately, the Hokage didn't keep them waiting long for an answer. With a heavy sigh, she addressed their squad, her voice an empty, worn out shadow of its usual authoritative tone. "As you probably gathered from your summonses, it's been a rough twenty-four hours. We've got quite a bit to cover, none of it good. I'll begin with the most... _definitive_ news first. It pains me to tell you that Jiraiya... is _dead_."

To his right, Kakashi heard Sakura let out a little gasp, while the usually stoic Yamato swore under his breath, Sai looked somewhat more thoughtful than usual, and Shizune bowed her head despondently. Already aware that the Toad Sannin had mysteriously disappeared weeks ago while on an exploratory mission to Ame thanks to previous one-on-one briefings with Tsunade, the news didn't come as quite as much of a shock to him as it apparently had to the rest of his team, but it was still a grievous blow. Kakashi couldn't claim to be any bit as close to Jiraiya as say, Naruto, but they'd always had a good rapport, and he was an immensely valuable asset to the village, not to mention the Godaime herself.

Moreover, the news also had darker implications, for taking down one of the three legendary Sannin was by no means an easy feat. "It appears that Pein is even stronger than we feared," Kakashi commented softly into the heavy silence that had fallen over the room, deeply aware of the fact that the Hokage was suddenly showing an extraordinary amount of interest in her left thumbnail. Carefully weighing his words, he added, "Was Jiraiya able to provide any intelligence on the situation in Ame?" Kakashi didn't _wish_ to be insensitive to Tsunade's grief - he was no stranger to the pain of losing teammates, after all, and the bonds between Jiraiya and Tsunade went far deeper most - but he was also aware that time was very much of the essence given Naruto's current plight. Indeed, he didn't doubt that the Toad Sannin would behave similarly if he'd been in the room with them, particularly seeing as this was _his_ young charge's life at stake.

Swallowing hard, Tsunade slowly nodded, meeting Kakashi's gaze head on in a nonverbal acknowledgment that his impetus to keep them moving forward was the right one. _For there would be time for grief later._ "Hai. If there is - _was_ \- one thing Jiraiya was good at, it was persistence. He sent Fukasaku, one of his summons, back with a coded message. Unfortunately, the Crypto team has been unable to crack it so far. Shikamaru's with them now… hopefully, he has more luck."

The room fell silent once more, and then Sakura's gentle voice cut in. "And… what of Naruto-kun, _Shishou_? Has there been any news? A sighting, perhaps? "

The whisper of dread in her tentative tone caused Kakashi's heart to beat even more painfully in his chest. Losing the rest of one's genin cohort at the still somewhat green age of eighteen wasn't unusual by any stretch of the imagination. After all, he himself had been several years younger than Sakura was now at the time of Rin's death and knew many a shinobi who could say the same. Despite this being the reality, however, it was one he'd dearly hoped to prevent his own genin team from experiencing. _Not that one could really ever claim to have much control over such matters..._

"I'm afraid not, Sakura. Naruto has seemingly vanished into thin air," Tsunade replied rather bitterly, a shadow falling over her tired face. "There was no sign that he ever returned to his apartment after walking Hyuuga Hinata home last night, and none of the guards on shift at the time noticed anything out of the ordinary. If our culprits are indeed who I _suspect_ them to be, though, that doesn't exactly come as a surprise. Genjutsu of such deceptively subtle ilk has long been an Uchiha calling card, after all."

"Hai, _Shishou_ ," came the dull agreement from his right, triggering Kakashi to frown beneath his mask. The fact that Sakura was no longer rushing to defend the Uchiha represented a certain progress in her recovery - acceptance as opposed to denial that they were somehow misunderstanding the situation - but that was really of little relief. _Would she blame herself for this latest development? Add it to the mental list of things Uchiha Itachi had been able to accomplish by virtue of her assistance?_ Kakashi had done his best to steer Sakura away from that mode of thinking last night and earlier this morning, recognizing it from his own history as a perspective that could literally drive a person mad. Whether the message that she was blameless would stick in the face of this new trauma was uncertain, however.

Tsunade seemed to be on a similar train of thought. Slowly, her calculating eyes drifted down the lineup of the team standing before her, shifting from Sai to Yamato, lingering for at least three heartbeats on Kakashi himself, and then coming to rest firmly on Sakura. Out of his periphery, Kakashi noticed the younger kunoichi's jaw suddenly clench in determination as she returned her mistress's gaze in what appeared to be a rather intriguing battle of wills. For Tsunade might ordinarily be more forthright in her approach than most other elite shinobi, but he didn't doubt that she could play a mind game or two when she so chose, particularly given the natures of her one-time teammates.

The seconds ticked by, the tension in the room heavy and the only sound the steady tapping of Tsunade's fingertips on the polished wood of her desk. Hand stilling, the Godaime gave one more long, hard look at her apprentice before turning her attention back to the larger group, murmuring a faint comment that sounded very possibly like "so be it" under her breath. Then, squaring her shoulders, she rose to her feet, amber eyes blazing with a sudden fire that Kakashi recognized from his decades on the battlefield as the steely glint of sudden, focused resolve. _Well done, Sakura-chan._

"I realize that there are many who would disagree with what I'm about to do. That sending out such as emotionally invested team on this assignment has the potential to backfire tremendously and breaks at least a half-dozen of the Shinobi Rules. Given the bonds you share with not only the target but the suspected kidnappers, however, this is a gamble I find myself willing to take. I think you each, in your own way, understand that there are times when the usual rules are simply _wrong._ "

The faintest shadow of a smile momentarily flitted across Tsunade's face, as if she had recalled some distant memory. Just as quickly as it had appeared, however, her gaze hardened once more with warlike intent, tone growing sharp as a freshly honed kunai. "Team Kakashi, effective immediately, I am deploying you on a search-and-recovery mission to track down and return your fellow teammate, Uzumaki Naruto, to Konoha. You know the risks, the consequences, what's at stake. With all the activity surrounding the Tailed Beasts and the head start that the Uchiha brothers have been given, I will readily admit that we should assume the worst… but there may be time yet, and, given whom we're dealing with, we _cannot_ give up."

* * *

Three minutes after her team's audience in her _Shishou's_ office wrapped up, Sakura was racing home as fast as her slender legs could carry her. The early afternoon sun shone down upon her, bright and cheery as ever, yet the kunoichi felt no warmth from its rays upon her back. Instead, she was filled by a cold, sickening dread that had wound itself around her heart the moment that Kakashi had informed her of Naruto's disappearance and had only intensified through the course of the briefing.

The very idea that the hyperactive blonde who had greeted her with such enthusiasm and so happily joked about his beloved " _Ero-Sennin_ " just last night - _and, oh, Kami, the thought that the seemingly immortal Jiraiya was dead -_ could soon have the life sucked out of him in one of the most horrible, brutal ways possible was positively vile. And the fact that the culprits were likely their fellow teammate whom they had strove to reach for so damn long and the man who had so fully taken her in, to whom she'd so eagerly given herself barely two months ago, made it immeasurably worse. Kakashi had urged her not to blame herself, but it was hard not to feel somewhat culpable. After all, if it hadn't been for her, Itachi would be dead, either by his brother's hand or his illness, and Sasuke... _Well, it was hard to imagine an Uchiha Sasuke freed from the snare of hatred..._

But now was not the time to sit and stew. As her mistress's final words to their team had emphasized, the odds were definitely against them, but forsaking the man who had stridently declared time and again that _he_ himself would never give up would be an unforgivable insult. So, quieting the ugly thoughts that threatened to distract her from her mission, Sakura barreled up the stairs of her apartment building; threw herself into her studio apartment; stripped her sweaty body of her impractical party dress in favor of her usual red _qipao_ top, black shorts, and apron skirt; and grabbed her ever-ready pack, suddenly exceedingly grateful for Shinobi Rule #6: " _A shinobi must always be prepared."_ Ten minutes later, she was latching the door behind her, racing back down the four flights of stairs that lead to her building's lobby, and stepping back out onto the street. It was then that she realized that something catastrophic was unfolding, an event whose immensely unfortunate timing seemingly sealed Naruto's grisly fate and boded exceedingly ill for the village as a whole.

The first thing Sakura noticed were the crowds of people running, wide-eyed with panic. Screams and shouts filled the air: The crying of children searching for their parents; the desperate calls of men and women, trying to maintain some modicum of sanity; the barking of the odd shinobi here and there, urging all civilians and minors out of the area and to the safety of their designated shelter. A sharp fear gripping her heart, Sakura found herself remembering the only other time she'd witnessed such madness: Orochimaru's attack on the village five years ago. She didn't see or sense anything out of the ordinary - other than the sudden mobilization of her entire neighborhood, of course - but there was no doubt in her mind that a civilian evacuation was taking place. _What was happening?_

Scanning the masses for a familiar face, someone who could clue her in to what was going on, Sakura eventually spotted Shiranui Genma, one of Tsunade's personal guards, three buildings up the street, ever-present senbon dangling from his lip and burly arms crossed across his chest. Judging from his behavior, he had been instructed to direct the evacuation process in her region, for his sharp brown eyes were laser-focused on the swelling tide of people, steady voice instructing those around him to stay calm and keep moving.

Making her way up the street with some difficulty thanks to the crowds, Sakura fruitlessly called out to the jounin several times, voice swallowed up by the chaos around her. When she finally managed to get within a few feet of the man, they met eyes, and he gave her a single nod of acknowledgment. "Stage 2 evacuation protocol, Sakura-san. All medics are to report to Konoha General pronto for further instructions," he barked, turning his attention promptly back to his current assignment.

"Hai… what's happening?" Sakura drew closer to Genma until they were standing side-by-side, well aware that they had little time for pleasantries but also desperate for some additional context. "Tsunade-sama just deployed my team on a critical mission a short time ago."

Her companion sighed heavily, eyes still focused entirely on the civilians rushing around them and voice possessing a certain weariness. "We're under attack. It was a complete surprise. They must've knocked out all of our scouts on the way in... there's been no intel on what we're up against, so your guess is as good as mine. The destruction the fuckers have managed to wreck so far though..." He paused, shagging his shaggy mane of brown hair as he viciously chewed his senbon. "I've never seen _anything_ like this. The front gate is totally gone. And the fatalities… it makes Orochimaru's attack five years ago look like amateur hour." Genma lowered his voice, clearly not wishing for the civilians around them to overhear. "I'm trying to be optimistic about our chances, but it doesn't look good."

 _A mysterious attack on Konoha hours after Naruto was seized from the village by Itachi and Sasuke…._ Given that context, there was no doubt in Sakura's mind that the assault was the work of the Akatsuki. If not the Uchiha brothers themselves, then one of their allies. And given the strength of the organization's operatives that she'd previously encountered, that was grim news for the village indeed.

With a curt nod of her head and a rapidfire " _Arigato_ , Genma-san," Sakura darted away from the man, ignoring his call about the hospital being in the other direction as she fought her way against the current of civilians, headed straight for the front gate. Much as a part of her wished to join Shizune and her fellow medics to assist with the triaging of the wounded, she had other obligations to see through. She knew the procedures - that all routine activities were immediately suspended in the wake of such an occurrence - but the particular assignment she'd been given was S-class level, which easily put it out of the bounds of standard operations. _She needed to find Kakashi. As her taichou and a veteran jounin, he would know what to do. Hopefully._


	33. The Confrontation

_[AN: Please forgive the delay... this chapter and the next have not been easy writing. I've had this story outlined pretty much since I started chapter 1, and this was the section that I've been most nervous about tackling. Hopefully, I've more or less pulled off part 1 - feedback (positive, constructive, politely negative) is much appreciated if you care to comment! And of course, follows and favorites are also always most appreciated. Finally, please note that this story is rated M and that I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 33: The Confrontation**

Sasuke sat on the mossy ground beneath a large oak tree, back up against the trunk and eyes blazing red with his activated Sharingan, keeping watch over his current companions. By his reckoning, Itachi had been sleeping at least five or six hours - far longer than they'd discussed resting - but he found himself somewhat unwilling to wake him. _He looked tired… drawn… weak. Like a man who could use all the sleep he could get_. And so, despite his wariness about keeping Tobi waiting and the knowledge that Konoha would eventually realize that their _jinchuuriki_ had gone missing, he allowed his _aniki_ to slumber onward as the sun rose high in the sky, creeping to its midday peak.

For the first few hours of his watch, Sasuke had managed to keep his mind free and unburdened, dismissing the doubts that insistently threatened to capture his attention through meditation and some of Orochimaru's other mind-emptying techniques. But as the hours continued to tick by, he found himself unable to entirely suppress the whispers, the deafening silence of the forest surrounding him and the presence of two of the people who had, for better or worse, had such profound impacts on his life leaving him little in the way of a distraction.

 _Was he making the right choice… turning Naruto over to Tobi?_ The vision that the masked man had presented him with back in Ame - of a shinobi world in which Konoha was no more, where the atrocity that had been committed against his clan would no longer even be _possible_ \- was seemingly worth the sacrifice. _But why was Itachi so ardently against it? Could he truly trust Tobi?_ Sasuke had come so far, entangled himself so fully in the Akatsuki leader's master plan that suddenly backing out wouldn't be a simple matter, and he was not nearly foolish enough to think that Tobi would permit him to just walk away from their agreement. _If he could just have some proof of the man's intent..._

Moreover, there remained the issue of Danzo. While Tobi had promised that Konoha would reap its just desserts courtesy of Pein, Sasuke found himself questioning if that was truly enough of a comeuppance for the man who had been the ringleader of it all and had pigeonholed his brother into carrying out the massacre. _What if he died an easy, painless death during the invasion or, worse still, survived the attack unscathed?_ While he had little personal knowledge of Danzo, the man had to be a powerful shinobi given his status in the village, which upped his chances of escape significantly. He didn't doubt that Pein could wipe Konoha from the earth - his brother's inability to fully disguise his dread of what was due to transpire was proof enough of that - but to be absolutely certain that Danzo himself was fully and sufficiently dealt with, a more… _personal_ touch was seemingly still required.

And so, Sasuke began to contemplate a little detour before returning to Ame with Naruto… a foray back to Konoha to tie up matters with the village Elder who had so grievously wronged his clan. Tobi had made it clear that Pein's attack was meant in part as a cover for their escape from Fire Country, and he didn't seem the sort who liked to be kept waiting. But why should Sasuke be fully beholden to his every whim? He'd have the Nine Tails in his clutches soon enough; would a half-day really make much of a difference? Besides, as a village Elder, Danzo was likely well protected, and Sasuke doubted that he rarely if ever left Konoha. To catch him at a time when defenses in the village were down, when he'd likely be more exposed than usual… it was too good a chance to pass up. Then again, carrying Naruto back to the village in broad daylight seemed quite risky, distraction or not, and they couldn't just leave him passed out in the forest. _Hn. Annoying._

A small motion to his left momentarily tore Sasuke away from his thoughts of revenge. His gaze ran over his brother's prone form, meeting his dark eyes, ringed with shadows despite the multi-hour rest from which he'd just awoken. Rising up onto his elbows, Itachi glanced around the clearing, taking in Naruto's still-comatose body before turning his gaze upwards, towards the canopy of the Fire Country forest. "How long have I been out?" he rasped, voice slightly rougher than usual from disuse.

Sasuke shrugged. "Six or seven hours," he replied, wetting his lips as he contemplated how to best carry out his change in plan. He could ask Itachi for his thoughts… but his brother's utter lack of interest in revenge meant that he was likely on his own, strategy wise, as had more or less been the case ever since they'd first met up with Deidara and Kisame in Hidden Stone. That being said, Itachi did have his uses, and his presence seemed particularly beneficial now that they had a prisoner. For even if he didn't agree with his course of action, his brother had proven himself to be nothing but loyal ever since their reunion in Oto, sticking close by his side in a way that was almost uncanny. _Or, at least, it would be if Orochimaru hadn't revealed the depths of Itachi's affections for him._

" _Nii-san_ , I need to return to Konoha," Sasuke informed his brother evenly, not failing to catch the momentarily look of something suspiciously like hope that flickered across Itachi's face. "While Tobi promised that the village would be destroyed, he said nothing specifically of Danzo. Go on ahead with the _jinchuuriki_. I'll catch up with you once I've dealt with my target."

At his pronouncement, the corners of Itachi's mouth turned down in the barest of frowns, complexion paler than ever in the bright sunlight filtering down through the leaves. "Hn. Delegating are we, Sasuke? How can you trust that I'll follow through? You know that I bear no particular love towards Tobi. Knowing what you do now, it should not surprise you to hear that I never intended to fulfill my given assignment of capturing the Kyuubi."

 _Tch, more posturing._ It was a valiant attempt on Itachi's part, but Sasuke had him dead to rights, not that that knowledge gave him much satisfaction. "Ah. But I also know that I am your great _weakness_ , _nii-san_ ," he retorted, trying to ignore the frustration trickling up his spine as the moments continued to tick by. _Pein was probably almost at Konoha by now, and it would take him at least a half-hour to reach the village, even if he sprinted._ "If I were to somehow fail my mission - if Tobi found out that we had the _Kyuubi_ in our clutches and lost him due to mismanagement - I imagine that his ire would not be insignificant. What if he were to decide that I am no longer of use to him?"

It was an ugly threat that Sasuke didn't _really_ want to be making against a brother who had already gone through so much for his sake, but Itachi left him no choice. Indeed, the warning seemed to strike true, for Itachi swallowed heavily, pale lips tightening as his dark eyes bore into Sasuke's own, inspiring a too familiar prickle of fear. _Oh Kami, that cold, deadly gaze._ It was a chilling reminder of everything that his _nii-san_ was capable of, particularly when boxed into a corner. _Perhaps, he had gone too far this time…_

To his great relief, Itachi blinked, rising somewhat stiffly to his feet. "Fine. We'll return to Konoha. I'm coming with you."

 _Damn brotherly protectiveness… it truly cut both ways_. "But returning to the village with the _jinchuuriki_ is extremely risk-"

"Tch. It's a risk we'll have to take. I _refuse_ to allow you to return alone." And if the authority behind Itachi's tone didn't make his intent absolutely clear, the sudden blazing to life of his Sharingan fully settled the matter, a silent warning that he refused to take "no" for an answer. _Well, perhaps having Itachi along for the ride would come in handy._ At the very least, his brother was far better acquainted with Danzo than he himself.

* * *

They departed the thicket without further debate, Sasuke hauling the _jinchuuriki's_ leaden body back over his shoulders, leaping up to the canopy, and setting a rapid pace in the exact same direction from which they'd come, his burning desire for revenge presumably negating whatever sluggishness the burden of his one-time teammate imposed. Despite his own body's reticence to move, Itachi urged himself to follow, trying to ignore the fire in his lungs and the unpleasant way his vision swam before him, turning the vibrant greens of the forest into a dizzying swirl as he strove to keep within range.

There could be no denying it; Sasuke's new plan was utter and complete madness. His brother might have become a formidable fighter under Orochimaru, but trying to find and take down Shimura Danzo in the midst of Pein's siege on Konoha would be a difficult assignment even for an S-class sensor, not to mention very possibly suicidal given the lethality of the Rinnegan. That being said, it was _probably_ still preferable to his previous intention to return to Ame in as short an order as possible. For that was suicide of a far different, even uglier sort.

When Sasuke initially broached the matter of backtracking to Konoha, Itachi was struck by a momentary rush of hope that his reticence at the prospect of turning in Naruto had won out. That, of course, had turned out to be overly optimistic nonsense: His _otouto_ had clearly learned a thing or two about hardening his heart from the Snake Sannin. Still, all was not quite lost. It was clear from his gaze and body language that Sasuke still felt something towards the _jinchuuriki_ , even if he knew how to hide it, and the additional hours that such a return entailed would grant further time for that guilt to build. Moreover, returning to the village while under siege by Pein, while undeniably dangerous, would expose him to a whole new set of stimuli that might just manage to sway him. For it was one thing to forsake one's home from a distance but quite another to bear witness to its destruction firsthand. And much as he tried to deny it, Sasuke's ties to Konoha still ran deep… as an Uchiha and with a genin team like the one Sarutobi-sama had so cleverly placed him on, Itachi suspected that they always would.

Furtively shooting the back of Sasuke's dark head a quick glance, Itachi suppressed a cough that suddenly threatened to escape his lips, hoping that he was far enough back that the distasteful choking noise wouldn't reach his brother's ears. There was no question that his body was unfit for travel - and certainly not at their current jounin-level pace - but, as had so often been the case, it wasn't like he had a choice. For, simply put, Sasuke could not return to Konoha to face Danzo alone. _Not that he wasn't fully capable._ Indeed, when it came to a potential one-on-one match-up, his _otouto_ really ought to have the upper hand. Young, strong, undeniably driven, and possessing the Sharingan, he would represent a significant challenge for the Elder, although Itachi didn't doubt that the man had a trick or two up his sleeve, and the knowledge that he presumably still possessed Shisui's right eye added a disturbing wildcard to his playbook. That being said, Itachi's chief concern regarding the confrontation hadn't actually changed since the night of their reunion in Oto: the threat posed by Orochimaru.

Whatever happened in Konoha, the experience promised to be an emotionally trying one… exactly the sort of moment for which he believed the Sannin to be biding his time. Itachi was no particular expert in seals, but he was a competent-enough shinobi to know that, as long as the Cursed Seal of Heaven remained emblazoned on Sasuke's neck, Orochimaru represented a real and present danger to his _otouto's_ life. And, as his elder brother, not to mention the man who had set Sasuke down the dark, twisted road of revenge that had led him through the Snake's den, he felt a deep responsibility - an obligation - to free him from this particular curse, regardless of whether or not he would subsequently throw it all away on Tobi. _Or die trying._

All too soon, they were drawing close to Konoha, the forest beginning to thin out as the early afternoon sun more freely filtered through the leaves. While this was in no way his first exposure to tragedy, Itachi stomach churned with unease as the sensation of Pein's overpowering chakra washed over him, dark, heavy, and monumentally destructive in its intensity. Thanks to Uchiha clan lore, he knew bits and pieces about the powers of the Rinnegan but had never witnessed the greatest of all the _dojutsu_ in action. Despite that fact and his professional curiosity as a Sharingan wielder, however, Itachi found himself wishing at that moment that he would _never_ have to see what those haunting lavender eyes were capable of. The knowledge that his village was under siege and he could do _nothing_ was more than enough of a burden to bear.

Sasuke seemed to sense the disturbance too, for he ramped up his pace another notch, now moving at a speed that Itachi knew he would be unable to match in his current condition. But that was no matter. For less than five minutes later they had arrived, for the second time in twelve hours, within sight of the front gates of Konoha.

 _Or, at least, what was left of them._ Those proud, green gates that had welcomed Itachi home from countless missions, that ranked in his mind as one of the most memorable sights in Konoha behind only the Hokage Mountain, had been reduced to little more than a dingy pile of splintered wood. And Pein was making plenty of headway on the rest of the village, by the look of it. From his perch on a branch sixty feet up a pine tree, Itachi had a front row seat to the destruction. He could hear the screams of innocent civilians desperately trying to escape the line of fire and the shouts of Leaf shinobi he wished he could join forces with as they fought valiantly to hold off the inevitable; see the Six Paths and their summons spreading through the village, generating ruin in their wake; smell the sickly dust on the air as businesses, homes, trees, and roads that had stood since the days of the first Hokage were toppled. Even from a distance, it was pure, unadulterated _terror_.

Momentarily tearing his attention from the horror of the scene playing out before him, Itachi turned his gaze to Sasuke. _What did his otouto think of the destruction he'd professed to crave?_ Unsurprisingly, his affect was one of carefully trained neutrality, yet the paleness of his skin, the darkness in his eyes, and the slight twitch of his left palm as he adjusted Naruto's weight on his shoulder couldn't entirely be disguised. _Yes, there was emotion there… a strong one. Whether it was elation or remorse was difficult to say, however._ As if sensing that he was being watched, Sasuke met Itachi's eyes, the black of his irises morphing into the blazing red of his Sharingan. Then, with a ripple of chakra he recognized as a combination of a misdirection and a cloaking genjutsu, his brother's jaw locked with a cold determination that cut into his heart like a razor-sharp kunai. "Come, _nii-san_. At last, it is time to take our revenge."

With that, Sasuke dropped down to the forest floor, striding forward towards the village, the lolling blonde head of the _jinchuuriki_ a harsh contrast against the blackness of his cloak. Hands hopelessly tied, as they'd been since that night in Oto, Itachi followed, through the downed gates; up the entrance road lined with fallen trees, many of the trunks twisted by the force with which they'd been ripped out of the ground; and into the start of the village proper, racing past the first few roads that had formerly boasted a mix of civilian and shinobi residences, now reduced to rubble.

Judging from his trajectory, Sasuke appeared to be cutting as direct as possible a path to the heart of the village, likely aiming for the Hokage Tower. While the first few streets were deserted, their progress soon carried them near what sounded to be the scene of an active skirmish. Turning onto the broad avenue that had been the start of Konoha's primary commercial district, he came to an unexpected stop beside the wreckage of one of the village's finer weapons shops, gazing intently down the road. Falling in line behind him, Itachi eyed his brother's back curiously, warily noticing the sudden stiffness of his posture. _What could have so fully captured his attention?_

The answer quickly became clear. For no more than seventy-five feet from where they stood, a conflict raged between Pein and a pair of Leaf shinobi, the dust swirling about them, keeping their identities masked despite the daylight. The duo was fighting valiantly, the speed and fluidity of their movements speaking to a relatively high degree of skill, but the Rinnegan was likely too powerful of a weapon against such an undersized squad, regardless of their abilities.

Itachi's gaze ran over Pein's tall form first, the shocking orange of his hair starkly contrasting with the menacing aura surrounding him. The Akatsuki member's back was to them, cloud-patterned robe billowing out behind him as he calmly avoided a brutally aimed fireball from the larger of the two Konoha nin, sending the man flying backwards to crash with a rather sickly crunching sound into the remnants of a stone wall. Such a hit would have been game over for most shinobi, however, this particular fellow seemed to be made of stronger stuff, for he was back on his feet in moments, weaving a new jutsu - lightning this time - in his right palm as he called out something to his companion about staying back. As the blue electricity lit his face, casting his wild, silver hair in a ghostly glow, Itachi's stomach flipped, a new wave of revulsion coming over him. _The man who was fighting for his life before them. It was Hatake. And the identity of his companion… please, Kami, no. It couldn't be..._

From somewhere to Kakashi's left, a flash of pink and red tore across the battlefield, completely ignoring her partner's orders as she cut a somewhat reckless path straight towards their seemingly distracted enemy. With a victorious cry, she struck the earth before him, causing a fissure to erupt in a display of raw power and chakra control that left utterly no doubt as to her identity. The attack was certainly impressive for its sheer destructive impact but left her momentarily exposed, a potentially lethal move against the Rinnegan wielder. Unfortunately, it also didn't turn out to be particularly effective, for Pein's jutsu seemingly allowed him to defy gravity. Hovering several feet in the air, he callously flipped his right wrist to send the kunoichi sprawling into a heap, landing hard like a discarded ragdoll against the stump of a fallen tree.

 _Evil bastard._ All of a sudden, Itachi found himself perversely grateful for his decade as a double agent. For seeing Haruno Sakura treated in such a fashion… every fiber of his self-control was required to keep himself from jumping into the fray to assist her.

* * *

Opening her eyes, Sakura winced as the effects of the concussion she'd sustained from her head-first collision with a fallen tree filled the dusty world around her with stars. Rapidly circulating healing chakra through her temples - she couldn't leave Kakashi to face that monster alone - she somewhat unsteadily forced herself to rise to her feet, frustrated by the apparent obviousness of her attack and for allowing herself to even take such a nasty hit in the first place. With her _sensei_ distracting him, she'd _thought_ she'd had their enemy dead to rights, but Pein's arsenal was deep and the Rinnegan every bit as powerful as she'd read. Things were _not_ looking good... although, in truth, they really hadn't since the moment Shikamaru knocked on Kakashi's door. _To think, just a couple of hours ago, she'd been naked, in bed with the Copy Ninja..._

After her run-in with Genma, Sakura had charted a course for her _sensei's_ neighborhood, praying that she'd be able to track him down amidst the chaos. While the hospital would have benefited from her presence - a fact that made her feel more than a little guilty - there were other medics in Konoha, and Naruto needed her more. _Hopefully, Kakashi would agree with her assessment._ _He had always said that there was no greater sin than forsaking one's comrades. But what was one to do when choosing between attempting to rescue one's teammate from certain death and actively defending one's village from total destruction?_ _A village could be rebuilt, but Naruto's_ life _..._

After what had felt like hours of darting around understandably panicked civilians and trying to ignore the near-constant jolts of unease that rocketed through her body with every nearby rumble of a building giving way, she'd stood on the threshold of the complex in which Kakashi lived. Her _sensei'_ s little side street was eerily deserted, the evacuation in his neighborhood having evidently wrapped up some time ago. That being said, all had been by no means _quiet._ While the height of the apartment buildings on either side of the alleyway left her with no view to speak of, it was clear from the heaviness of the choking dust wafting through the air and the periodic shaking of the ground that she was exceedingly close to an active conflict.

By that point, she'd already resigned herself to the fact that Kakashi was long gone from the area. It had been silly of her to think otherwise, but clearheadedness in the face of panic had never exactly been easy to maintain. _Being who he was, he'd probably shunshinned onto the scene, cool, calm, and collected as ever, the minute he'd realized that Konoha was in danger. Did that mean that her instincts had been wrong? That she_ should _have reported to the hospital after all?_

Sakura had taken three uncertain steps back up the street when a violent _boom_ erupted from somewhere to her left, the ten-story apartment building she'd been standing next to shuddering massively. Heart leaping into her throat, she'd reflexively skittered out of the way, which had turned out to be a _very_ good move, for rubble had promptly begun to rain down right where she'd been standing as the building collapsed in on itself, tomahawked by some sort of projectile. _That had been close… scarily close._

Staring through the newly opened gap in the street, her eyes stinging from the dust, Sakura had felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. Everything that had previously stood between her _sensei's_ home and the village gates was _gone_ , the roads turned into a muddy battleground strewn with the remnants of buildings, the trunks of trees, and, most chillingly of all, the lifeless bodies of several Konoha shinobi. _Sweet Kami._ Genma had said that the situation was dire, but never in a million years had she expected anything on _that_ magnitude in such a short amount of time. After all, it couldn't have been more than an hour ago that they'd been standing in Tsunade's office, receiving their mission.

 _And to make matters worse..._

A motion twenty-five feet to her front-left had suddenly caught Sakura's eye, spurring her into a defense posture as her hand groped for a kunai from the weapons pouch strapped to her left thigh. A blur of silvery hair, a masked face, dark shinobi duds, and a standard-issue jounin vest, however, had clued her in to the extremely welcome fact that her new companion was no assailant. By sheer dumb luck, she'd managed to stumble upon the very man she'd been looking for, whole and unharmed as ever.

Unfortunately, whatever modicum of pleasure she gleaned from their reunion had turned out to be exceedingly short lived. For a second man had appeared before them moments later, clad in a billowing Akatsuki robe, with strangely flat, expressionless face that was covered in piercings and whose _eyes_ …

They were a haunting lilac, ringed with concentric black circles, that she would have been almost tempted to call "pretty" if she didn't know any better. But thanks to the Uchiha clan tome Itachi had gifted her with, Sakura was aware of _exactly_ what they were up against. The Rinnegan... the greatest of _all_ the _dojutsu_. _It was real!_ Having recently worked on Itachi's Sharingan, the discovery fascinated her medic-nin side. But _practically_ …. Sakura liked to think of herself as something of an optimist (albeit not anywhere close to Naruto's level), but there was really no other way to look at it. They were as good as dead.

She suspected that Kakashi probably knew this too. _Dojutsus_ tended to be shrouded in secrecy and mysticism, but as a Sharingan wielder and a veteran jounin, he almost certainly had to have at least _heard_ of the eyes that were so chillingly staring them down. That being said, true to form, he somehow managed to bring a moment of levity to the situation, shooting a dry little comment in her direction. "Fancy meeting you here, Sakura-chan. You're _supposed_ to be at the hospital, you know." Then, all hint of mirth had vanished, tone turning harsh and authoritative as he yanked her left arm downwards. "Duck!"

At his urging, she'd dropped down to her knees, debris from a completely demolished storefront whizzing overhead to crash into one of the still-standing buildings behind them. "We seem to be dealing with some sort of gravity manipulation jutsu," Kakashi had observed as he prepared to go on the offensive, mismatched eyes flickering with killing intent. "It's formidable, but all seemingly insurmountable weapons have their weakness. We just need to determine his… before we run out of time. Cover for me!"

 _Hm… "cover for me." She'd certainly heard that one before._ Now, Sakura had long ago made peace with the fact that medic nin were forbidden from leading the offensive charge (unless they'd mastered the Creation Rebirth Technique, which was a pretty big caveat). Tsunade had explained the principle soon after she'd first expressed interest in an apprenticeship - the unique role that the medic played as the only one on their squad with the ability to heal - and she'd immediately taken the point to heart. For being front and center when it came to combat might earn one more prestige, recognition, and a flashier spot in the Bingo Book, but none of that _truly_ mattered. At least not as long as there were loved ones to protect.

All that being said, as she'd watched Kakashi's lean body get thrown backwards, repelled by that same goddamn gravity ability that was even more brutally unfair than Itachi's _Tsukuyomi_ , something inside her had snapped, propelling her to her feet, the blood rushing to her cheeks. Observing that Pein was seemingly absorbed with her _sensei_ , Sakura had channeled chakra into her right fist, rushing the man with a display of chakra-enhanced speed and a war cry that was _probably_ ill advised when it came to stealthiness but so, utterly satisfying.

But, of course, her attack had failed. Miserably. And now she was somewhat compromised - she'd dealt with the concussion easily enough, but the residual lightheadedness took a good few minutes to completely go away - with no better understanding of what they were up against. They hadn't been dueling him for very long, but, as far as she could tell, there was no weakness in Pein's shell. _Could this strange manipulation of the very laws of gravity be it? The perfect jutsu?_

Sakura reached for her kunai pouch, the song of Kakashi's _Chidori_ filling the air with its electric whirl. She seriously doubted that her insignificant weaponry would do a thing against their adversary - _he'd probably just send the ammo spinning back at her_ \- but her _sensei_ had requested backup, and any little distraction could give him an opening.

Eyes flitting over their opponent's blank expression as she prepared to throw her knives, Sakura frowned to herself. _It was rather odd that he was permitting Kaka-sensei to fire up a round of Chidori unmolested, actually. Why wasn't he attacking? Unless…_

 _That was it!_ "It has a cool down!" she cried out, a sudden, rather proud warmth filling her soul at having potentially solved the puzzle the was Pein's weakness. But she was, seemingly as always, too late, for Kakashi was already rushing their enemy, mismatched eyes shining with deadly intent. And it seemed that the recharge on the Akatsuki member's gravity technique numbered seconds, not minutes, for his right hand was suddenly moving in that same, disturbingly nonchalant fashion, seeking to repel the latest attack.

This time, however, it appeared that the Copy Ninja might end up with more than just a nasty bruise. For Pein apparently had his own form of back-up. A bizarre, multi-armed man who also seemingly possessed the Rinnegan sprung onto the scene, positioning himself so that Kakashi was sandwiched between the two of them. _Was Kakashi aware of their new adversary's presence?_ It was hard to say, for his attention seemed to be fully locked on their primary foe, and his _Chidori_ had its own drawback… tunnel vision. The Sharingan certainly helped mitigate that, but in this particular situation, given the amount of focus an enemy like Pein demanded _and_ the fact that Kakashi's momentum meant that he was already quite committed...

As the new arrival unveiled a nasty-looking blade from around his waist, reminding her rather grotesquely of Sasori, Sakura realized _exactly_ what she needed to do. She wasn't really supposed to be using her _Byakugou_ seal yet - Tsunade had wanted to run a few final tests first to make sure she'd obtained full mastery before actually betting her life on it - but desperate times called for desperate measures, and she'd picked up a thing or two about gambling from her mistress. Channeling chakra to her legs using the speed augmentation technique Itachi had taught her, she bounded forward to close the gap between herself and Kakashi, bracing for the impact of her _sensei's_ larger body and the pain that she inevitably knew would follow from the sword-wielder's weapon. _She had to time this perfectly. If she was even slightly off, Kakashi was a dead man…_

Pein's right hand moved, Kakashi was jolted backwards, and Sakura leapt into the air, forcefully knocking her _sensei_ out of harm's way. Concentrating so hard that her vision began to swim, she released her reserved chakra just as the new arrival's sword pierced her through her back, impaling her abdomen in a rush of hot, sticky blood and searing pain that was somehow _worse_ than even the injuries she'd sustained against Sasori.

She heard Kakashi fall to the ground, somewhere to her right, the mystified tone in which he murmured her name a blissful confirmation that she'd done it. _She'd saved him._ The knowledge brought some momentary shred of relief to her discomfort. Unfortunately, it didn't linger for very long. For getting skewered by a massive serrated blade was no laughing matter, and it seemed that her _Byakugou_ didn't quite have the same, immediate effect on her healing capacity that her _Shishou_ had said it would. _Weird. Tsunade was never wrong about these sorts of things._ She was certain she'd used it... her chakra levels attested to that fact. _Perhaps it was just a lag?_

Well, whatever was causing the delay, Sakura really hoped that the technique kicked in soon. For the pain was growing _worse_ , the bright light of the afternoon sun suddenly seemed to be fading, and she was starting to feel rather out of it. Her body… wasn't really _responding_ anymore. In fact… she seemed to be losing consciousness. _Hm… was that supposed to happen? She'd have to ask Tsunade…_

 _Later._ For someone had called her name. Screamed it, actually. Someone exceedingly familiar. _It couldn't be. But it_ had _to be. She'd recognize that voice anywhere..._

" _Sasuke-kun?"_


	34. The Mangekyo Sharingan

_[AN: Thank you so much for all the positive feedback on the previous chapter. I find writing fight scenes particularly tricky, so I really appreciated the support (and the follows and favorites)! An fyi about this chapter: Throughout this story, I've tried to stick to canon as much as possible when discussing points like jutsus and Kekkei Genkai. That being said, I realize that I may have gotten a bit more "creative" in my approach when discussing certain logistics of the Sharingan (in my defense, it's not like anyone has ever done a formal, scientific study!). I realize that my interpretation might not line up perfectly with canon; hopefully, it at least works for you! As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 34: The Mangekyo Sharingan**

He watched her move in slow motion, activated eyes committing the moment to memory without even knowing that he was doing it. That pretty little face that had haunted his dreams for months was intensely focused with gritty determination, forehead clenched and vibrant green eyes sparkling with intent as she shot towards their former _sensei_ in a display of speed that could only be achieved through formidable chakra control. Despite every effort to remain detached, to clear his mind, to forget those nagging feelings that always seemed to come over him at the most inconvenient times, he could feel his heart racing in his chest, mouth growing dry as she maneuvered herself directly into the line of fire.

Then, she jumped, forcing Kakashi out of the way of Pein's blast as she absorbed the Rinnegan user's gravity-controlling blast. Shot backwards towards a massive, serrated blade, obviously forged to cause maximum damage, she clenched her teeth as the weapon pierced her abdomen, the dull thud a chilling confirmation that she had not employed any sort of substitution jutsu. _What was she thinking, rushing in like that? Did she have_ no _sense of self-preservation?_

A jolt of shock rocketed up his spine, stomach clenching as if _he_ were the one being stabbed. He felt Naruto's comatose body slip off of his shoulders, slumping to the ground… the familiar tingle as he lost control of the cloaking jutsu he'd put in place around them prior to entering Konoha. But neither point mattered at that moment, because Haruno Sakura - that bubbly, pink-haired girl who had so annoyed him as a boy with her concerned looks, kind words, and immaculately prepared apple slices; who had offered to make the ultimate sacrifice, to abandon everything she'd ever known to join him in a cause she couldn't even begin to understand; whom he'd willed himself to forget thousands of times while ensconced in Oto but somehow could never fully erase from his memory - was _dying_ right before his eyes. And he could do _nothing_ to stop it.

Her name escaped his lips, an ode to what might have been. _Had he whispered it? Screamed it?_ He didn't care... there was no point in _pretending_ anymore because those luminous green eyes were clouding over, full lips he'd dreamed of kissing over the past months growing pale as ruby blood saturated her tunic, a stark contrast with her fair skin. _And there could be no doubt about it. This was all_ his _fault._

The guilt twisted at his insides, mingling with an empty sense of loss and a startling anger that was all-consuming in its intensity, burning away the hatred that had clouded his mind and leaving him, at last, with a clear picture of the path down which he was descending. _Itachi had been right._ He still intended to make the Elders, foremost among them Danzo, pay for their crimes, but _this_ \- Sakura's death, Naruto's obliteration, the destruction of the entire village that the two of them so loved - wasn't the revenge he had wanted. In fact, it would only bring more grief, result in more senseless deaths, more destruction. _Gods, how had he been so stupid… so blind?_ Well, he would attempt to begin righting that wrong now. It was too late for Sakura - and he would live with that black mark hanging over his head for the rest of his accursed life - but, Rinnegan or not, he would _destroy_ the man who had done this.

He took several steps forward, preparing to weave _Chidori_ Sharp Spear. Given how easily Kakashi's _Raikiri_ had been repulsed, a medium-range attack seemed worth a try. Despite the concentration his enemies demanded, however, Sasuke found himself unable to tear his gaze away from Sakura, the horror of what had just transpired growing with each passing moment. It was just as the swordsman was roughly shoving her off of his blade, her limp body sprawling onto the muddy ground in a cascade of twisted limbs and petal-pink hair, that a sudden, crippling pain seized him, dropping him to his knees with its sheer intensity. He'd experienced the mental horrors of _Tsukuyomi_ twice, undergone physical experimentations that had left him screaming under Kabuto's sadistic hand, been subjected to Orochimaru's perversions for half a decade, but _this_ …. His vision blurred as his eyes burned with a white-hot fire that had him seriously wondering if he was going blind. _In a way, it would be a fitting punishment... deprived of his greatest weapon, his_ dojutsu _, the moment he finally saw the truth..._

Eyes shutting in agony, he heard someone moving to his left, racing past him with a murmured "stay where you are, Sasuke" that was all at once fierce and tender in its tone. _Itachi._ Familiar voices were shouting… his brother and Kakashi seemingly coordinating some sort of stand against the invaders. _They were strong, but would their combined efforts be enough against_ two _Rinnegan wielders?_ It appeared that they at least intended to try. He could hear Kakashi's _Chidori_ spring to life in the distance, crackling with murderous intent; feel the intense heat of what could only be Itachi's _Amaterasu_ on the back of his neck. _Kami, how he wished he could join them…._ But, of course, blind and hobbled by pain, he was completely useless, just as he'd been that night in Oto. _Dammit, why was he still so weak?_ He had trained for years, sacrificed everything, hardened himself to any and all emotional ties. And, yet, there he lay, sprawled in the dirt, unable to defend himself, let alone avenge his fallen teammate. _Who was so much_ more _than that, truth be told..._

A warm hand suddenly gripped hard onto his shoulder, causing him to jump from the unexpected contact. " _Teme_? What's going on? What happened to our meeting? I was about to deploy you on a solo ANBU assignment, but you were late. There's punishments for that, _dattebayo_." There was a pause as Naruto got a better sense of his bearings, apparently disoriented from the hours he'd spent comatose. "Wait a second, this isn't my office… where _the hell_ are we? _Teme_ … this isn't... _Konoha…_?" Another pause, the hand dropped away, and, when his companion next spoke, his voice was tense and strained, all joviality replaced by a tone of sheer disbelief. " _Sakura-chan?"_

 _Well, fuck._ Whatever had gone wrong with his body had apparently so fully compromised him that the _dobe_ had been able to break out of his genjutsu. Now, having seen Sakura's lifeless form, Naruto was quite understandably upset. And when a _jinchuuriki_ got upset, they were apt to lose control, as Sasuke had long ago seen to dramatic effect with Gaara during the Chunin exams.

He'd gleaned from the little that Orochimaru had said of his confrontation with Naruto's Nine Tails form some months ago near Hidden Grass that his one-time teammate had utterly no mastery of the _Kyuubi_ , and he'd assumed as much during his own interaction with the beast. But the blonde had also been training with the Toad Sannin. The Snake had mentioned that multiple times over the years, seemingly bemused by the parallels between Sasuke and the rest of his genin team. _Could Jiraiya have helped Naruto gain some of the control he'd always lacked?_

Given the state of Konoha and the intensity of the struggle he could hear taking place between Kakashi, his brother, and the Rinnegan wielders - not to mention being located far too close to the blonde for comfort with little avenue for escape - Sasuke dearly hoped so. But as Naruto's voice grew increasingly animalistic and throaty, chakra bubbling out of him at an intensity that was positively smothering, he found himself very much doubting that… and growing desperate.

With all of his might, he willed his body to cooperate, to normalize, to snap out of whatever absurdly panicked state it had apparently fallen into and perform as he had trained it to. But the pulsating pain radiating from his eyes simply wouldn't stop, his chakra network completely haywire, the world around him fuzzy and spinning when he dared force his lashes apart for one sickening moment, a kaleidoscope of orange, black, blue, brown, red. _Perhaps he deserved death for what he'd done, but not like this. Not before he'd had a chance to make amends. Something… anything…_

" _Anything?"_ Suddenly, a voice spoke, seeming to come from the deepest reaches of his mind, its lilt eerily calm, smooth, and strangely familiar. " _Why, Sasuke-kun, the solution is right at your fingertips. Hm… or perhaps I should say emblazoned upon that slender young neck of yours…"_

Sasuke grit his teeth in revulsion, now recognizing Orochimaru's sickly tone, all at once cloying and cold as ice. _You're supposed to be_ dead _,_ he thought back harshly, somewhat unnerved by this development. _Had he been there all along… biding his time? Listening to his innermost thoughts? If so… ugh!_ But, unwelcome though his input was, the man did admittedly have a point. He _could_ fall back on his seal… although there was a definitely risk in doing so, one that had actively discouraged him from employing its power too often - impressive and gratifying though it was on certain levels - in the five years that he'd possessed it. For Sasuke may have turned his back on Konoha and his genin team, but he had by no means forgotten Kakashi's warning about the dangers of drawing on the mark.

 _Orochimaru was dead though, wasn't he? Even if some shred of him had burrowed itself deep within his self-consciousness, surely that wouldn't be enough to_ actually _assert any sort of claim?_

It appeared to be a gamble he would be forced into taking, for Kurama's roar filled the air once more, the wild cry of the unleashed beast making his eardrums ring. Death or imprisonment in his own body for the rest of his life? Neither option was particularly appetizing. But, at that moment, given the seeming certainty of the former, he'd be a damn fool not to risk the latter.

* * *

 _One down… one to go._ Itachi felt a rush of satisfaction course through his body as Pein's Asura Path was gradually consumed by the flames of _Amaterasu_. With a well-timed attack, Kakashi had managed to temporarily paralyze the weapons wielder - all that metal had turned him into a literal lightning rod - giving the Uchiha exactly the amount of time he needed for the black fire to work its destructive magic. His right eye was bleeding, his body ached from his illness, and he'd been forced to draw on far more of his remaining energy and chakra stores than was really ideal, but they were making undeniable progress in a dire situation.

That being said, there was little to truly celebrate at that moment, pleasing though it was to be once again actively fighting for Konoha - at his old _taichou's_ side, no less - after everything he'd gone through over the course of the last decade. For large swatches of his beloved village had been turned into a muddy, smoldering battlefield of flattened homes and splintered tree trunks, and that was just the landscape. On their way in, he had seen the bodies lying amongst the wreckage, of too many shinobi taken far too soon. It was a Konoha nin's duty to defend his or her village - that was something learned in one's earliest days in the Academy - but that didn't make such losses easy to swallow by any stretch of the imagination. _Particularly not when intimate companions were involved..._

And so, despite the still-present threat of the Deva Path - the most formidable of all, at least according to lore - Itachi found his eyes momentarily drawn to the fallen form of Pein's most recent victim. She lay face down in the mud, that soft, pink hair that was her calling card an untidy mass of tangles, the pale limbs that had so warmly embraced him a matter of months ago stark against the earth. He was no stranger to death, yet the wholly unexpected end to this kunoichi's life made his heart ache in a way that it hadn't since the night of the massacre. While he may not have been the one wielding the blade, Itachi couldn't help but feel a certain responsibility for what had transpired, for involving her so fully in the mess that was his clan's history, not to mention a distinct guilt at where he'd left their relations. _Forgive me, Sakura._

And yet, intensely painful though it was, Haruno Sakura's death had not been in vain. While her immediate intent had been to save Kakashi, he was not the only shinobi whose life had been preserved through her sacrifice. For, judging from the impassioned cry that had escaped his _otouto's_ lips, she had seemingly achieved what even he himself had begun to think impossible: Torn Sasuke away from the grips of his hatred and forced him to confront the consequences of his actions. _Not to mention, apparently awakened his Mangekyo. Which was in itself an intriguing development..._

A sudden blast of chakra from near where his _otouto_ lay, alerted him to a new threat on their horizon, one that he, as an Uchiha, was rather uniquely equipped to handle. With Sasuke's chakra network disrupted by the emergence of his evolved eyes, the _jinchuuriki_ had apparently roused himself from the genjutsu realm in which he'd been ensnared, and it seemed that the _Kyuubi_ was officially making his presence known.

While he had been just a child, Itachi could remember the fear that had consumed the village the last time the Nine Tails was loose in Konoha, as well as the period of mourning that had followed, seemingly no clan untouched by the resultant loss of life. And, of course, far more recently, he had encountered the _Kyuubi_ face to face, an experience that had made him even more aware of the _bijuu's_ power despite the fact that the beast had been imprisoned all the while in Naruto's subconscious. Given such past exposures, it was thus impossible to deny the need to contain his sheer destructive power now.

 _Hn, although... perhaps there was_ more _he could achieve._ Kurama was ruthless and unfeeling, yet he was also intelligent, and the Akatsuki represented just as much of a threat to his own existence as it did to Konoha's. _Perhaps, with the right perspective, he could be talked into a temporary allegiance? Unity in the face of a common foe?_ It was an intriguing thought and a tempting out against an enemy who remained decidedly dangerous, even with the Asura Path out of the way. Definitely, worth a shot, at any rate.

Meeting eyes with Kakashi, the Uchiha inclined his head towards their red-haired adversary, wordlessly communicating that the Copy Ninja should keep Pein distracted while he directed his efforts towards the Nine Tails. His former _taichou_ nodded briefly in understanding, gloved hands beginning to weave what appeared to be some sort of water jutsu, and the Uchiha turned towards where he'd left Sasuke and Naruto, fully taking in the glowing orange and black avatar into which the Uzumaki had transformed. Clearly sensing the intrusion of his gaze, the beast snarled with rage, five tails lashing behind its vaguely humanoid body. Eyes burning with the effort, Itachi forced himself to stand steady despite the threat of attack, willing the creature to submit to his authority with every fiber of his being. He could feel his chakra draining from his body as the moments ticked by. _Oh Kami, let it be enough. The eyes that had carried him through so much_ couldn't _fail now..._

The avatar let out a bloodcurdling roar, but Itachi stood firm, Mangekyo Sharingan swirling with focused intent. Then, to his immense relief, the bright afternoon sunlight was fading away, replaced by that dank, dark world in which he had previously encountered the Nine Tails. As before, water was dripping from some unknown location, and those tall, golden gates that had been firmly sealed shut during his last visit were unsurprisingly on their last legs. _The Yondaime's fuinjutsu was undeniably impressive, yet even he could only do so much when up against Kurama._ Eyes traveling upwards, Itachi's gaze settled on the fox, taking note of the rather sadistic grin slung across his face. _Once again, he'd reached the Nine Tails. Now, all that was left was to bargain with the beast._..

"So, we meet again, Uchiha Itachi," the fox's deep voice boomed, a touch of perverse amusement creeping into his tone.

"Ah." Itachi inclined his head somewhat stiffly in a display of respect, never relinquishing his companion's gaze. "Forgive the intrusion. We have... _need_ of your services, Kurama-san." There was little time for pleasantries, but he couldn't exactly afford to offend, either.

The beast chuckled darkly. "I assumed as much. I may be a prisoner, but I am by no means ignorant of what goes on in the world outside. Tell me, Uchiha, why should I assist you? _Any_ of you?"

Itachi licked his lips, the strain behind his poor, burning eyes growing with each passing minute. He could feel his ocular nerves trembling from the pressure that maintaining a foothold in Naruto's subconscious demanded, but he charged onward, throwing caution to the winds out of sheer desperation. "Self-interest," he replied shortly, aware that beings such as the Nine Tails possessed no true human emotions to which he could appeal. "Pein and his master, Tobi, seek to harness your power. If they manage to extract you from Naruto, you will be reduced to little more than a tool to their whims."

At that, Kurama regarded him somewhat thoughtfully, red eyes blazing with a feral fire that chilled him to his core. "Hmph, one seal for another. It would likely make little difference," he observed dismissively, and Itachi felt the bottom fall out of his stomach, painfully aware that he had fully played out his hand. Then, the beast paused, as if considering the matter more fully. "But I have grown somewhat _used_ to this current arrangement. And the Uzumaki, for all his faults, certainly has his benefits as a host…. Very well. You have my _agreement_."

 _He'd done it_. The _Kyuubi's_ allegiance obtained, Itachi immediately severed his connection to Naruto's subconscious, not wishing to expend any more of his precious chakra or give the _bijuu_ a chance to further consider the situation. Blinking as he readjusted to the Konoha sunlight flooding the shredded landscape, Itachi felt what could only be blood slowly trickling down his cheeks, his eyes positively vibrating with pain in their sockets. His body was utterly drained, breath coming out in labored gasps and lungs spasming wildly as he fought to recover from the latest round of abuse to which he had subjected himself, resisting the urge to sink to his knees in utter and complete exhaustion. Vision disturbingly blurry, he saw the now seven-tailed avatar dart into the fray, presumably to relieve Kakashi in a prompt fulfillment of Kurama's promise. But much as his body craved it, the _Kyuubi_ 's emergence as a temporary ally against Pein granted Itachi no respite. For no more than a hundred feet from where he stood, he could sense Orochimaru making his move, his dark, familiar chakra unmistakably emanating from his _otouto's_ body. The timing was positively horrendous, just as Itachi had expected it to be, but failing body and flagging chakra be damned, he had no choice but to act. For the alternative - the risk of losing Sasuke forever - was simply not permissible.

Ignoring the neurons screaming at him to cease and desist, he rushed towards his brother's side, the red-orange form of his _Susanoo_ erupting around him. _Faster… he needed to move faster!_ He could hear the battle between the _Kyuubi_ and Pein's Deva Path picking up in intensity somewhere in the distance behind him - likely one for the ages - but not even Kami himself could divert his gaze from his brother's frame now.

He was less than twenty feet away when Sasuke let out an almost inhuman cry, face contorting in apparent agony as he clawed at the left side of his neck, as if the cursed seal emblazoned there was on fire. Dark lashes that had been clenched shut sprung wide with shock, revealing his transformed eyes for the first time, a kaleidoscope of black and red. The sight filled Itachi with a strange, brotherly pride for what his _otouto_ had achieved, as well as an aching sorrow for what it meant. _For the Mangekyo Sharingan truly was every bit as much of a curse as it was a blessing_.

Sharingan met Sharingan, fear and confusion etched on Sasuke's clenched brow. Pale lips parted, voicelessly shaping words. _Nii-san. Please… he's..._

He was unable to finish the thought. Seemingly overcome, Sasuke's head was thrown backwards into the dirt, scarlet eyes rolling up into their sockets as his back arched like a man possessed. Itachi took one quick step towards him, heart racing in his chest, poised to strike the minute Orochimaru revealed himself. Before he could move any closer, however, a massive white serpent with eight heads erupted between them, each hissing maw large enough to easily swallow a man whole. _So, this was it. Yamata no Jutsu._

It was an impressive bit of summoning, to be sure, not to mention an ingenious use of a sealing technique. Indeed, Itachi didn't doubt that the man's master plan to claim Sasuke's body, seemingly from beyond the grave, would have worked under normal circumstances. But thanks to the intelligence that Jiraiya had provided him regarding his brother's condition and a bit of resourcefulness on his own part, he had what ought to be the perfect antidote.

As the Sannin's pale face and sickly, white torso emerged from one of the centermost heads, Itachi met the man's gaze impassively, steeling himself against the exhaustion he was experiencing. He was exceedingly aware that he had hit his limit, his breath ragged, eyes burning, and chakra stores just about as low as they'd ever been. But that was no matter. Because if he could pull this final move off - checkmate the Sannin - it would all be over.

Orochimaru smirked down at him, golden eyes reflecting the fire of his _Susanoo_. "Did you miss me, Itachi _-kun_?" he drawled, far-too-long tongue tracing his thin lips. "I so _enjoyed_ our last reunion. A pity it had to end so soon. Fortunately, you dear _otouto_ has proved a comfortable host… and I think that sumptuous body of his will make an exceedingly satisfactory vessel for the foreseeable future." His eyes flicked momentarily towards his right, smirk broadening into a full-on grin. "Not to mention those _remarkable_ eyes. You know, I always wondered what she saw in her, but Tsunade's pink-haired little apprentice certainly proved useful in the end. To think, the power he now possesses, all thanks to that _dreadfully_ ordinary little girl. Hm… but your clan always was rather _soft_ when it came to matters of the heart. Why should Sasuke-kun be any different?"

Itachi had initially resisted the urge to jump in, refusing to fall prey to the Sannin's pitiful baiting so as to keep his efforts firmly focused on maintaining his _Susanoo_. But the reference to Sakura pushed him over the edge, his disgust reaching its limit. "Tch. My brother is not yours to claim, and you have no business speaking of that which you do not understand. Covet the Mangekyo Sharingan all you wish… it shall forever be beyond your grasp."

With that, his _Susanoo_ revealed his master stroke: the Sword of Totsuka. Obtaining the weapon hadn't been a simple affair, but the look of pure disbelief in the Sannin's gaze and, most of all, the knowledge that he had Sasuke's would-be master dead to rights made it all worth it. "You had it _all along_ ," Orochimaru observed slowly, golden eyes locked on the blade in a bizarre mixture of lust and dread. "For decades, I've searched for it... consumed every bit of lore I could find. To think that it was right under my nose _this whole time_ -"

 _This was it_. Itachi only had enough chakra to support the being's full form for a few more seconds, and he intended to make full use of it. "It ends here, Orochimaru. This time, there will be no next time."

His avatar lowered the blade toward the doomed man, a rush of satisfaction coursing through his veins as the Sannin's essence was completely absorbed by his weapon and the gigantic hydra he'd summoned was swiftly lain low. As the white serpent's body came crashing to the earth, Itachi's own body reverberated with the pain he was putting it through, his Susanoo flickering out as a wave of nausea overtook him. But there were still far more important points on his mind than his own discomfort. With Sasuke's attackers neutralized, he flashstepped to his brother's side, burning eyes immediately finding the left side of the unconscious man's neck. His vision was frightfully blurry, but he could see enough to know that Orochimaru's mark was no more, the absence a visual confirmation that he'd fully lifted the curse, the ethereal blade having worked just as he'd intended.

He sank to his knees out of a combination of relief and exhaustion, right hand grasping for his brother's left. While Sasuke remained seemingly comatose, his skin was warm to the touch, a stark contrast to Itachi's own cool, clammy palm. At his touch, his _otouto's_ grip tightened, blazing eyes suddenly opening in shock. " _Itachi_ ," he gasped, the lost tone of his voice reminding him of the little boy he'd so loved, "Orochimaru… he... something happened with my chakra. I lost _control_ …"

Itachi nodded, trying to ignore the way that Sasuke's pale face was swimming in and out of focus. "There was a disruption to your chakra network due to the emergence of your Mangekyo Sharingan," he explained, his brother's already wide eyes grew rounder with surprise. "The Snake Sannin attempted to capitalize on your temporary weakness… he'd been biding his time since Oto. I am no _fuinjutsu_ expert, but I suspect that some of his essence crept into your body that night through the seal he'd placed on you. That being said, Orochimaru should not trouble you any longer… I've sealed him away with one of my own techniques. _Susanoo_."

Sasuke shuddered, perhaps appreciating how close he'd come to losing everything. "And the pain that came over me… what was it? I thought I was going blind..."

Itachi sighed heavily, the knowledge of how little his brother knew about their clan's _dojutsu_ an uncomfortable reminder of the far-reaching repercussions of his clan's annihilation. "Over time, through overuse, the Mangekyo _does_ lead to blindness," he replied softly. "But the pain and disorientation you experienced today were instead the result of the rapid evolution of your optic nerves, likely compounded by Orochimaru's activation of the Seal of Heaven. And, of course, you should not discount the heartbreak of losing one whom you… cared for."

"Ah. _Sakura_." Sasuke's voice was low and mournful, like nothing Itachi had ever before heard him utter. Having heard Sakura's side of their story, the emotionality behind his tone intrigued him, wary as he was of discussing the kunoichi they had both come to so deeply admire. For, happy as the memories of his days and nights at her side were to Itachi personally, there were certain things that his brother never truly needed to know.

His _otouto's_ lips parted, as if he were about to say something else, but a roar in the medium distance brought them both firmly back to their present. _The Nine Tails. It seemed that their temporary alliance against Pein was officially over._ For a moment, Itachi's right hand gripped firmly onto his brother's shoulder, keeping Sasuke firmly where he lay. He appeared to be recovering well enough from the awakening of his Mangekyo and Orochimaru's possession attempt, but his chakra was still somewhat unstable, and putting his eyes under such immense strain so early on in their lifespan was no way to ensure their longevity. But, of course, the situation was also urgent, and there was no way he could address the situation with the _Kyuubi_ while also keeping watch over his brother. And so, the tips of his middle and index fingers gently grazing the center of Sasuke's forehead, Itachi stood with some difficulty, trying to ignore the way the world was spinning and the blackness threatening to creep into his periphery. "Forgive the interruption, Sasuke. It appears that we have some unfinished business with Kurama. We'll return to this conversation later."


	35. The Aftermath

_[AN: Again, apologies for the delay on this next chapter! I was hoping to get it out last week before heading off on a late-summer vacation, but unfortunately it didn't quite happen for me. This was one of the more interesting chapters to write, so I'm hoping it also makes for satisfactory reading (and that I haven't upset anyone with the course of how this is playing out too much...). I've really appreciated all of the feedback on the last couple of chapters - thank you for the input and support! As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto._

 _Finally, I'm going to leave you with a question... I still have a ways to go with_ Secrets _, but I'd be interested in hearing what sort of story you'd like to see from me next. I've got quite a bit on the back burner, mostly SasuSaku and ItaSaku, with one MinaSaku I'm not quite sure about yet. SasuSaku: (1) a non-mass mission-based tale that's a mix of action and humor, (2) a real-world_ Crazy Rich Asians _-inspired romp that's quite light and fluffy, (3) a darker AU where Danzo became Godaime after Minato's death, and (4) a sequel to a rather silly, somewhat angsty little story I wrote this past spring, "Good Vibrations." ItaSaku: (1) a non-mass shinobi mentorship story that's a mixture of humor and angst and (2) a real-world corporate world AU. If you have any thoughts, I welcome the input!]_

 **Chapter 35: The Aftermath**

For a time, Sakura was struck by the distinct impression that she was floating, or perhaps flying, through a silent, pitch-black world, the darkness around her so all-encompassing that she was unable to see her own hand when held inches from her face. Her mind was a jumble of memories - a sun-baked battlefield, searing pain, a red-haired man with violet eyes, the sound of a familiar voice crying out to her in agony - but making sense of each of those individual moments and fitting them into a larger picture was proving to be a tall order. _What had happened to her?_

Focusing hard, a narrative gradually began to form out of the darkness. Naruto had been captured by Sasuke and Itachi. Team Kakashi had been deployed on a recovery mission. Konoha had fallen victim to a surprise attack before they'd had a chance to set out. She and Kakashi had been up against a member of the Akatsuki. A _Rinnegan_ wielder.

 _Hm… perhaps she'd been placed under some sort of genjutsu? Or transferred away into some alternate dimension?_ Kakashi's Sharingan allowed him to transport targets into another plane via a technique known as _Kamui_. _Perhaps the Rinnegan could also grant one such an ability?_ The Uchiha clan tome had an extremely limited discussion of the Rinnegan, and, as a medic with a developing expertise in _dojutsu,_ Sakura was certainly interested to learn more about their new adversary's eyes. For now, however, the question of how she'd gotten wherever she was and what that might reveal about the Rinnegan's powers came second to another, far more pressing concern: How would she escape? Was she destined to float through this seemingly unending darkness forever?

The thought was _troubling_ , to borrow a phrase from Shikamaru. Fortunately for her fraying nerves, a pinprick of light at the farthest reaches of the horizon suddenly caught her attention, cutting through the inky blackness. Eyes fixating on the mark, Sakura immediately charted a course towards the flame, her relief at having something to guide her, some sort of direction, growing with every footstep forward.

That was, until she realized what exactly the light was coming from. _A campfire. It appeared that she was less alone than she'd thought_. The kuniochi squinted towards the light in a futile effort to discern more of the scene up ahead. _Would whomever had lit the fire be friend or foe?_ Given that she believed herself locked in a dimension associated with a member of the Akatsuki, it seemed likely that the answer might very well be the latter.

 _But there was no reason to be nervous_ , Sakura reminded herself, trying to will away the growing nerves through one of the stress-reducing breathing exercises she'd learned during her Academy days. _She was Senju Tsunade's apprentice, a fully trained kunoichi. For Kami's sake, she could defend herself._ _Even if it was dark… and she hadn't a clue of where she was… and her chakra levels were depleted… and her weapons pouch and emergency kunai had both mysteriously vanished_. _Fuck!_

Adrenaline coursing through her veins, Sakura silenced her footsteps and completely suppressed what remained of her chakra signature. Unarmed and exhausted, one-on-one combat could prove a tall order, but a strange compulsion drew her onward nonetheless, towards the flickering light. _After all, she did still had her fists. She was no Rock Lee, but her taijutsu wasn't half bad these days, even unenhanced._ And she couldn't deny that she had a lot of other options of where to go. For, now that she was closer to the blaze, she could make out her surroundings, and they didn't offer a lot of possibilities. Gnarled, old trees; long grasses; cold, damp mist that clung to her skin… _lovely_.

Far more importantly than her surroundings, however, Sakura now had a sightline on what (or rather _who_ ) she would be up against. He or she was seated on the ground and appeared to be alone. That was _definitely_ a good sign, although it was always possible that other assailants could be lurking somewhere in the darkness. The individual's back was to her, so she couldn't get a glimpse of his or her face, but the height of the torso and the broadness of the frame both suggested that her companion was a man. A physically _powerful_ man who would be a formidable foe if he were in fact a shinobi. His chakra signature was indistinct - _probably suppressed like her own_ \- but there was a certain familiarity to his barrel-chested shape and the outline of his spiky hair that she couldn't quite place.

Creeping closer, Sakura focused hard on keeping all trace of herself silent and suppressed. Stealth had never been her _best_ attribute, and she was too low on chakra to attempt any sort of genjutsu to mask her presence, but she seemed to be managing well enough. That was, until an unexpected _pop!_ of one of the logs on the fire caused her to let out a tiny exhalation of surprise. She suppressed the reaction as quickly as she could, utterly furious with herself, but, to a well-trained shinobi, even the tiniest exhalation was a dead giveaway, and it appeared that this individual fully fit that description. The man's shaggy head sharply tilted to his left, immediately seeking the source of the disturbance, and Sakura froze in her tracks, heart racing in her chest as she contemplated the age-old fight-or-flight dichotomy. _She was within a hundred feet… there was no way she could escape. Given the size discrepancy, her lack of projectiles, and how weak she currently was, she was probably boned..._

Wide green eyes rapidly ran over her would-be opponent's body, desperately seeking a chip in his armor, something, _anything_ that she could use to get an edge. As she took in his squared jawline; dark, intelligent eyes; and white, shoulder-length bangs; however, her jaw dropped in a mixture of shock and disbelief. _It was Jiraiya!_ _But… how was that even possible? Was it a trap? Some sort of henge? Or perhaps… had her Shishou been mistaken about her dear teammate's fate?_

For his part, Jiraiya looked just about as taken aback to see her as she felt about him. He scanned her face in frank surprise, the corners of his mouth turning slightly downward, as if her presence troubled him. "Ah, Sakura-chan," he murmured, that famous grin of his nowhere in sight, "How strange to see you here. Most _unexpected_..."

He trailed off, gesturing with his right hand at a bench-like tree trunk across the fire in a vague invitation to join him. Despite her doubts, Sakura found herself hesitatingly moving close enough that she could feel the warmth of the blaze on her somewhat cool and clammy skin. _He definitely looked and sounded like Jiraiya. Animated like him too, although his current expression was untypically serious. If it was a henge or genjutsu, it was an_ excellent _one._

She pursed her lips, wondering how to best proceed. After all, thanks to Kakashi's rather scarring demonstration long ago during the bell test, Sakura knew well that appearances could be deceiving. _She needed a test of her own… some way of confirming his identity._ The old shinobi standby was to ask a question to which only the true Jiraiya would know the answer. It wasn't a one-hundred percent fail-safe measure: Given the frequency of espionage, torture, and mind-penetrating jutsus of one flavor or another, secrets could be difficult to keep in the ninja world. But it would be a start.

That was… if she could actually _think_ of something that only she and Jiraiya would know. While Konoha's Toad Sannin was obviously her _Shishou's_ former teammate and Naruto's mentor, Sakura's own interactions with him over the years had been relatively few and far between. As such, she didn't exactly have a wealth of personal knowledge or common experiences on which she could draw. She could ask something about Tsunade, of course, but Orochimaru was liable to know that as well, and the fact that Jiraiya was seemingly still alive had her questioning whether the Snake Sannin could be too. Naruto was another possibility, but she had a very limited sense of the relationship that her teammate had with the man seated before her, which made quickly figuring out what Jiraiya may or may not know about him a somewhat tricky endeavor.

Then, with a somewhat painful pang, Sakura thought of Itachi. Much as the memories of how earnestly she'd defended him troubled her, she couldn't deny that he represented a seemingly perfect test for her companion. "Jiraiya-sama, if you would, could you please summarize our last conversation?" she asked somewhat tightly, keeping the question intentionally vague.

At that, Jiraiya's lips quirked slightly upwards, the small smile spreading across his lips a shadow of his usual joviality. "Giving me the old identity verification test, eh, Sakura-chan? Very wise... I'll humor you. Last we spoke, you, that magnificent _Shishou_ of yours, and I discussed my invaluable Akatsuki spy, the rogue nin otherwise known as Uchiha Itachi. We reviewed his history, his motives, and my admittedly less-than-ethical decision to assist him with your kidnapping, amongst other highly classified matters." A dark eyebrow shot upwards towards his hairline. "Is that enough, or would you like me to continue?"

"Mm.. no… that definitely suffices," Sakura confirmed, brow furrowing in thought. _So, Jiraiya was alive then. And seemingly stuck in the same Rinnegan-controlled plane that she was._ A million questions were suddenly dancing on the tip of her tongue, but she figured that she might as well start simply. Settling onto the proffered log now that she was more-or-less certain that her companion was no fake, she met his gaze, trying and failing to read the emotion etched there. "Jiraiya-sama, where exactly are we?"

"Ah. An interesting question. We sit... at a place in between, as it were," the Toad Sannin replied somewhat distantly, rubbing the back of his neck in the same way Naruto often did when vaguely uncomfortable.

Sakura stared across the fire for several heartbeats, waiting for more but receiving no reply. _A place in between. What did_ that _mean?_ "And how did you get here?"

"Well… the same way you did."

 _Which she had less-than-no memory of. Great._ "And… how long have you been here?"

Jiraiya frowned, shrugging his shoulders. "Difficult to say, really. Time has a... _different_ meaning here."

 _Hmph. This line of questioning was proving to be less than helpful._ Sakura had heard all about looking underneath the underneath from Kakashi more than once, but she was in no mood for riddles at the moment, and her companion was obnoxiously full of them. Deciding to try a more direct tactic, she fixed the Sannin with one of her more insistent, Tsunade-inspired stares. "You know, _Shishou_ told me something strange about you earlier today, Jiraiya-sama. This is going to sound _silly_ given our current circumstances... but, well, she _said_ you're supposed to be dead."

She swallowed hard, nervously awaiting his reaction. Jiraiya was known to be pretty laid back, but he was also one of the legendary Sannin, and informing a man that his entire village had written him off wasn't exactly a pleasant task. Sure enough, the Toad Sannin's thin smile disappeared, his gaze falling to the flames between them, shoulders dropping as if weighed down by a heavy burden. He sat like that for several heartbeats, the crackling of the logs the only distraction from the silence. Then, chin rising slightly, he wet his lips and met her gaze, voice strangely gentle in its intonation. "I... _am_ ," he affirmed slowly. "As are... _you_ , I believe."

 _WHAT?_ "That's impossible!" The words escaped the kunoichi's lips without hesitation, throat tightening in shock. She'd considered several possibilities since waking to darkness, but not that. _Never_ that. _Jiraiya had always had a sense of humor… was this some sort of joke?_ Green eyes scanned his weathered face, quickly concluding from the heaviness of his features that he was serious. And so, despite her doubts and the fervent beating of her heart seemingly _insisting_ that she was alive and well, Sakura considered the matter anew, willing herself to try and remember what had happened after she and Kakashi had first encountered Konoha's assailant.

As before, the memories came in a confusing rush… the sight of Kakashi rushing their opponent… the sickening realization that he had no clue how much danger he was in… the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she leapt into the fray… the anticipation as she released her seal… the pain of the sword's impact… the sensation of her own hot blood soaking her tunic… the vision of the world growing dark… the sound of a voice… of _Sasuke's_ voice. Then… _nothing_.

 _Oh Kami. Jiraiya might very well be_ right _._

"But I released my seal!" Sakura protested, voice small and thin as she glared rather petulantly at her companion. "I did everything right. It… it isn't fair!" She sounded absurd - at heart, she knew that - but the horror of her circumstances put the cold rationality that she'd been trained as a kunoichi to exhibit firmly out of reach, at least for the moment.

Jiraiya was silent for a time, either wishing to give her some time to think or not really sure what to say. _Both, probably._ Then, he let out a heavy sigh. "It isn't," he agreed, tone soft and somewhat halting, as if speaking to a child. "But as you well know, Sakura, _life_ isn't fair. Nor death, for that matter."

Sakura hummed a melancholic response, eyes dropping from her companion's face to the flickering fire between them. In the silence, her stunned mind slowly began to come to terms with her new reality. And it stung. Bitterly. _N_ _ever again would she walk the streets of Konoha. Train, spar, laugh, or go on missions with her team. Serve twelve-hour shifts at the hospital alongside Shizune. Look up at the stars at night and pray that Sasuke was safe, wherever he was. Meet up for drinks with the Konoha Eleven, ramen with Naruto, tea with Kakashi, or gossip with Ino. Undergo her father's good-natured teasing, her Shishou's well-meant lectures, her mother's periodic questions about boys and life goals. She'd never make jounin, toast Tsunade's retirement, giggle at the absurd sight of Kakashi donning the Hokage's hat, welcome Sasuke home, lead a genin team of her own, become director of Konoha General, see Naruto realize his own dream of leading their village, marry, have a family..._

Rubbing her stinging eyes with the back of her left hand, Sakura willed herself not to fall any deeper into the emotional pit her treacherous mind was digging. _There had been so much left to live for… to experience... but tears had no purpose._ Besides, she'd known for a long time now - from that sunny day that a twelve-year-old Naruto informed Kaka- _sensei_ that he wanted his name emblazoned on the Memorial Stone - what the risks of her profession were. Shocking though it was to have paid the ultimate price so young, she couldn't deny that she _hadn't_ signed up for the possibility. _Or that many others had suffered the same fate before her… some, like her former sensei's first teammates, at an age even younger than herself._

Raising her chin, Sakura forced her eyes to meet Jiraiya's gaze once more, somewhat embarrassed for allowing herself to get so wound up. But the soft, almost grandfatherly look on the Toad Sannin's face quickly chased her shame away. "Now then, Sakura-chan, if you're up for a conversation, I'm all ears," the man began slowly, that familiar smile that had settled on his visage warming her lost and lonely heart. "You see, I suspect that this one-on-one fireside reunion was no accident. In the few weeks that I've been on this side of life, I've come to find that nothing is ever truly serendipitous. Perhaps, there is something you might wish to discuss? Some unanswered question or burden with which I might be able to assist?"

Sakura shivered slightly despite the warmth of the blaze between them. She'd left behind _a lot_ of unfinished business in Konoha, but what any of that had to do with Jiraiya was less than clear. _Well, except the question of Itachi's behavior._ Given that he'd apparently been the one to recommend her to the rogue Uchiha in the first place, the Toad Sannin might very well be able to offer some insight into _that_. "Jiraiya-sama, that day we spoke about Itachi, back in _Shishou's_ office, you'd said that he'd been your spy for over a decade. What did you actually think of him? Did you truly think him trustworthy?"

The man's brow furrowed in vague confusion, and she paused, realizing that some additional context would probably be necessary giving the timing of the Sannin's death. "You see, after you… _left_ , Itachi was part of a mission to Oto to rescue Sasuke-kun. That night, after killing Orochimaru, he disappeared without a word or trace, only to resurface weeks later as a member of the Akatsuki, this time with Sasuke by his side. I didn't want to believe it at first - that he'd turned around and rejoined the organization he'd professed to loathe - but, well, there was _so much_ evidence against him. They even abducted _Naruto-kun_..."

She fell silent, noting with a prickle of unease the hard and unyielding expression on Jiraiya's broad face as he evidently considered her words. "I saw a lot of talented nin in my life. But I _never_ met a more perfect shinobi than Uchiha Itachi. Brilliant, powerful, genetically blessed, reserved in all actions, thoughts, and words. And so selflessly dedicated to the cause of his village… no matter the personal cost."

Sakura frowned in surprise. "So… you still believe it then? That Itachi-san was for Konoha the entire time? That he _hadn't_ intended to deceive us? But how can one explain -"

Across the fire, Jiraiya's eyes blazed with wild, honest conviction, reminding her rather dearly of his blue-eyed protege as he wordlessly cut her off mid-sentence. "Sakura, I'd tell you I'd bet my life on it, but I'm afraid it's a bit late for _that_ given the circumstances," he quipped, a certain levity momentarily taking over his features before his face turned solemn once more. "There is one more point we must factor in. Like all shinobi, Uchiha Itachi has a weakness… his brother, Sasuke. As you know, he chose his _otouto's_ life over all else once before. There is utterly no doubt in my mind that he would do it again, if forced by his circumstances. Orochimaru is - was - a crafty adversary, with connections in surprisingly high and unexpected places. It would not surprise me to learn that he too was aware of the truth behind the Uchiha clan's fall and attempted to use such knowledge to his own gain when pressed."

The Sannin fell silent, leaving Sakura to her thoughts. _Jiraiya believed Itachi loyal, and Kakashi had said something similar as well, albeit less definitively. Perhaps she hadn't been such a little fool for trusting in him, after all._ Staring at the dancing flames, the kunoichi found herself recalling her own conversation with the elder Uchiha their last night together on Toki, when she'd suggested that he save himself by telling Sasuke the truth about their clan's downfall. At the time, Itachi had dismissed the idea, warning her that such knowledge would turn Sasuke against Konoha itself. _Could Orochimaru have known who was actually behind the Uchiha massacre? Could Sasuke have found out from him and redirected his hatred, just as Itachi had predicted?_ The fact that Sasuke _hadn't_ killed his brother, had seemingly chosen to ally with the Akatsuki, and had gone so far as to abduct Naruto on behalf of the organization after the Sannin's death… either he'd gone mad, or _something_ else had swayed him. And if Sasuke _had_ learned the truth, it would have been just like Itachi to remain at his brother's side, to attempt to turn him back towards the life in Konoha that he had obviously wished him to lead, whatever sacrifice that demanded of him personally.

A strange, tingling warmth came over Sakura's body. "I think… I understand now. _Arigato_ , Jiraiya-sama," she murmured to her companion, lips turning upwards as her gaze turned somewhat hazy. _Was it just her, or was the fire suddenly growing kind of dim?_

"Ah, it was the least I could do. Always a pleasure, Sakura-chan," the man replied with a smile, dark eyes crinkling fondly. Then, he winked somewhat roguishly. "By the way, please say hello to your _Shishou_ for me when you next see her."

* * *

Kakashi's steel-grey eye surveyed the impromptu battlefield stretched out before him, heart heavy as he took in the destruction. Sweat dripped from his brow, his body was so spent that his legs shook with the mere effort of standing, and his Sharingan was pulsating with the telltale symptoms of overuse behind its closed lid, but none of that concerned the Copy Ninja at the moment. For large swatches of his village stood in ruins; his rogue ex-student was crouched mere feet from him, awaiting who knew what fate; a second one of his former students had absconded with Pakkun on a very possibly suicidal mission to confront the man who had directed the attack; and countless Konoha shinobi lay dead, including his third and final ex-student and, for better or for worse, the most brilliant ANBU report he'd ever had the pleasure of captaining, Uchiha Itachi.

 _He couldn't deny that the couple had gone out with a bang._ Kakashi had seen a lot in his twenty-plus-year career, but the experience of having Haruno Sakura - that pink-haired girl with a surprising faculty for chakra control who had grown up before his eyes into a powerful, capable kunoichi, not to mention an exceedingly attractive woman - leap to his aid in the face of certain death, giving her life to save _him_ in an act of reckless bravery, was wholly unexpected. He hadn't really begun to wrap his head around what had transpired, but the mixture of shock, guilt, and awe that had gone through him as that damnable sword dove into her lovely torso… it was _sickening_. Exactly the sort of situation that _always_ seemed to befall those he dared let in.

 _Speaking of those he'd once opened himself up to to disastrous effect..._

Itachi's death didn't have quite the same immediate emotional impact, but it still weighed heavily on Kakashi's mind. It had been so _sudden_. One minute, the Uchiha had been by his side, red eyes swirling with the fires of his Mangekyo Sharingan as he seemingly willed the Nine Tails back into submission. The next, he was on his knees before a white-faced, exceedingly confused Naruto, coughing up an impressive quantity of blood - _was_ that _the illness Sakura had treated him for? If so, her concern had been understandable -_ as he instructed the blonde in wheezing gasps to track down Pein's true body. And, then, with Naruto's assignment tasked and Pakkun summoned to keep a watchful eye, the man's quickly fading gaze had trailed over Kakashi's own face in a whispered plea to keep an eye on his brother before finally shifting his attention to a completely horror-stricken Sasuke.

It was at that point that Kakashi had decided to back off, wishing to give the brothers some modicum of privacy while simultaneously aware that village protocols demanded that he keep them fully within his sight as previously declared enemies of Konoha. From where he'd stood, he didn't catch the actual words that had comprised their final, murmured exchange, but the low, mournful timbre of Sasuke's voice; the desperation resonating from his newly transformed eyes, wet with bitter tears; and the silent shaking of his body as Itachi's hand slipped from his grasp, prone body growing still, was an intensely painful interaction to witness.

 _Knowing what Sasuke had gone through, and now_ this… _._ There was no doubt in Kakashi's mind that the sole remaining Uchiha would recover with time, and he intended to play as much of a role in that process as the man would permit. But the emotional damage that the losses of both the woman whose death had ushered in the emergence of his Mangekyo and his last living relative, whom he had deeply admired as a boy, loathed as an adolescent, and most recently come to love again, would not be a simple wound to heal.

Neck prickling with the sensation that he was being watched, Kakashi turned his thoughts from the abstract to the concrete, directing his attention fully to Sasuke. Their gazes locked, his companion's deadly eyes swirling in a kaleidoscope of black and red. Kakashi was exceedingly well aware that he was one-on-one with an Uchiha whose every known action over the past five years had placed him firmly in the camps of some of Konoha's most dangerous foes. Yet, despite Sasuke's checkered history and the intimate knowledge of the Sharingan's abilities, his heart beat with pity as opposed to fear.

To his great surprise, Sasuke spoke first, voice oddly detached in contrast to the heavy grief in his gaze. "Kakashi. What will they do with the bodies?"

 _Of all the things he could have asked._ As had seemingly always been the case with Sasuke, it was an exceedingly _good_ question, not to mention disarmingly practical and wholly bare of any personal sentiments. The Copy Ninja ran his right hand through his silvery hair somewhat distractedly, thinking the matter over. _Well, Sakura's fate was clear cut, at least._ Not possessing any sort of _Kekkei Genkai_ and with both parents living, her mortal remains would summarily be released to Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki. But the question of how to entomb Uchiha Itachi and his highly coveted eyes was undoubtedly one for the High Council.

In the years before the Uchiha massacre, Itachi's body would have been returned to his clan for burial, a process that Kakashi had good reason to believe - at least judging from the chaos that had surrounded the disappearance of Obito's corpse - usually involved the postmortem retrieval of the dead Uchiha's Sharingan in a grisly yet effective deterrent to would-be grave looters. But now? Given the exceptional rarity of Itachi's _dojutsu_ , the immense value of it to the village, the unscrupulous tendencies of certain High Council members, and the fact that the sole individual who _could_ claim any sort of familial right was himself a criminal, it was really anyone's guess. Kakashi intended to do his best to advocate for Sasuke's claim as next of kin - _whatever that was worth_ \- and Tsunade was a fair and reasonable woman, but it was hard not to be somewhat pessimistic in the face of Danzo's absolute insistence on doing what he believed was best for Konoha, sensitivity and respect for the dead be damned.

Sasuke's eyes darkened, clearly not appreciating the delay in his response, and Kakashi let out a long, low sigh. Given _both_ of their current mental states, he wasn't exactly looking forward to where this conversation was likely headed, but he could see little in the way of an out. For now was definitely _not_ the time for lighthearted excuses. The shadows clinging to his former student's features and the still-present sight of his Mangekyo Sharingan left little doubt about that. "Well, Sasuke, Sakura will be returned to her parents."

"Hn. And _Itachi_?"

"That… will need to be determined by the village Elders."

Sasuke's lip curled in a silent expression of utter hatred that had Kakashi's wariness growing. He'd heard the younger Uchiha's uncharacteristic cry of agony at Sakura's death and stood alongside him as Itachi faced down the Nine Tails, but he couldn't deny the unease coming over him now. For his former student's reaction to the mere mention of the High Council confirmed Kakashi's suspicions: Somehow, Sasuke had found out the truth about the Uchiha Massacre. _Would the legacy of his brother, his affection for Sakura, and whatever bonds he might or might not feel towards his pre-Oto life be enough to keep him in check?_

It seemed that they were about to find out. For a sudden influx of chakra - the approach of at least a dozen Konoha jounin, judging from their signatures - informed Kakashi that their too-brief conversation was drawing to a close. Fixing Sasuke with the most calmly authoritative glare he could muster, the Copy Ninja found himself praying that this time, for once in his life, the Uchiha would listen to reason. " _Whatever_ happens, Sasuke, please don't do anything rash. Think of Itachi… of _Sakura_..."

Sasuke frowned, head tilting slightly in the barest of acknowledgments. The slight reaction indicated that the message had been received, but the blood-red glint of his gaze coupled with the complete lack of expression on his pale, mask-like face didn't exactly do much to instill confidence.


	36. The Return

_[AN: Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter... it's been a bit of an emotional slog, so it's been wonderful to hear that people are reading and finding the storyline compelling. Thanks as well for your thoughts on what my next story should be! If anyone is interested, I've forged ahead with the first chapter of the sequel to "Good Vibrations" ("Great Expectations")... I was planning on waiting until finishing this to post it, but I got the first chapter completed and figured why the hell not? As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto. Also, I'm going to be away for a couple of weeks, so I'm anticipating a bit of a longer than usual gap between this chapter and the next one. Thank you in advance for bearing with me!]_

 **Chapter 36: The Return**

As he stood to face his one-time _sensei_ , Itachi's lifeless body at his feet, Sasuke felt the anger that had been the driving force behind so many of his actions over the past few months bubbling to the surface again. _Sakura was dead. Itachi was dead_. He didn't deny his culpability - _had he only listened, had he realized how fully Tobi was manipulating him, had he recognized that wholescale destruction would truly only duplicate the wrong Danzo had committed against his clan a decade ago -_ but the fact that the fate of his brother's body would seemingly be determined by those very same men and women who had so brutally used him in life was maddening. _Abused in life… abused in death. When would it end?_

His skin prickled with the sudden awareness that his one-on-one with Kakashi was about to be interrupted. He wasn't enough of a sensor to gauge the identities, exact numbers, or specific abilities of whomever was approaching, but that was really immaterial. For Sasuke knew what he, she or (most likely) they were after. _Himself. Itachi. Itachi's eyes._

Scrutinizing the Copy Ninja's largely hidden face, the Uchiha found himself darkly tempted to go against the man's well-intentioned bequest and take on the approaching Leaf nin. In a way, it would be fitting: A final protestation - for he would _eventually_ be detained, Mangekyo Sharingan or not - against the treatment to which Itachi continued to be subjected by the village he had done nothing but loyally serve, even in death. But he _couldn't_. Now, Sasuke had no particular qualms against defying Kakashi's orders... _it wouldn't exactly be the_ first _time_. But, in their final conversation, as his _nii-san_ took his shuddering last breaths, he had promised Itachi that he would honor his memory, and taking out a squad of Konoha shinobi was definitely _not_ the way to go about doing that. After all, having spent the last two months by Itachi's side, it was impossible to deny that, somehow, his _aniki_ considered himself a loyal shinobi of the Leaf to the bitter end. While he himself was not quite ready to return to the fold - as long as Danzo remained free, that was simply not an option - he was finished with Tobi's plan for total devastation.

And so, Sasuke stood, silent and more-or-less composed, as a troop of eight masked ANBU arrived on the scene, joined by a brown-haired man chewing on a senbon whom he vaguely recognized from the chunin exams and a pale, dark-haired woman with wide, black eyes. Signaling for the platoon to stop slightly behind him, the senbon wielder approached Kakashi with a right-handed salute, his laconic tone a stark contrast with the sharpness of his gaze as his eyes raked over Sasuke's form. "All right there, Hatake?"

Kakashi shrugged in feigned nonchalance. "Mah, I've been better. Glad to see you still in one piece, though, Genma. And you, Shizune-san." He tilted his head slightly, clearly noticing the senbon user's focus. "You remember Uchiha Sasuke, I'm sure?"

 _What was this, some sort of tea party? Get to the point already._ In his time away from the village, Sasuke had forgotten about this particular aspect of his former _sensei's_ personality. It had always somewhat grated on his nerves, and now was no exception. Not that he intended to show it, of course.

For his part, Genma nodded shortly, eyes dropping swiftly to the earth. Despite his intentions to go quietly, Sasuke couldn't help but feel a certain rush of satisfaction at the knowledge that none of the new arrivals dared to even come close to meeting his eyes. "That _is_ why we're here," the man commented simply, attention wandering over the rest of the scene: Kakashi's exhausted body, the massive corpse of Orochimaru's summons, and the whole-scale destruction caused by Pein. Then, his pupils widened slightly, having evidently caught sight of Itachi's lifeless body. "Well, _one_ of the reasons…"

"Say, Kakashi, you haven't seen Sakura, have you?" The dark-haired woman cut in, her voice possessing a warm tenderness that was foreign to Sasuke's ears after his time in Oto. "When Tsunade-sama enacted the evacuation protocol, Sakura-chan never showed up at the hospital. Katsuyu reported that she'd been on her way towards your apartment…. I don't suppose you happened to intercept her?"

"Sakura is dead." Sasuke wasn't really sure what compelled him to speak just then. After all, the question was intended for Kakashi, the Copy Ninja was deeply aware of what had transpired as well, and he himself was a traitor whose words probably counted for nothing. He crossed his arms somewhat defensively over his chest, heart twisting uncomfortably as the memory of Sakura's fate played out in his head anew, willing his face to retain its expressionless mask.

The already pale woman turned even whiter, mouth falling open in shock as her gaze drifted from his jugular to Kakashi's masked face. "Kakashi… is this _true_?" she gasped, the horror in her tone suggesting a certain intimacy with the kunoichi.

 _Who was she? A friend? A mentor?_ In his years away from Konoha, aside from her occasional appearances in his dreams, Sasuke hadn't really given much thought as to what Sakura was up to, consumed as he was by his desire to become strong enough to kill Itachi. But now, he found himself strangely curious, wishing to know more of the life she had led... how she'd learned and grown; what her apprenticeship under Senju Tsunade had been like; whom she spent her time with; whether she had moved on from him, involved herself with someone else. He'd never been much of a conversationalist, and his time in Oto hadn't exactly changed that, but the knowledge that he would never get the chance to know Sakura as an adult was a surprisingly bitter realization.

Out of his periphery, he saw Kakashi nod slowly. "I'm afraid so. Sakura-chan..." He trailed off, scratching the back of his head somewhat awkwardly, as if the words were difficult to come by. "She, ah, gave her life to save me, as it were."

Shizune sighed sadly. "Ah. That dear girl. She did always have a self-sacrificial streak, particularly when it came to those she cared for." Sniffing slightly, she blinked several times in quick succession in what was presumably an attempt to refocus her attention on the present. "Kakashi, given your current chakra levels, I'd insist on your reporting to the hospital before you keel over, but there _isn't_ actually one at the moment. Ami and a couple of the other more senior medics are setting up a first-aid clinic about a mile from here, in one of the emergency evacuation shelters. I'm going to see to Sakura, and then I'll accompany you for treatment for chakra exhaustion and a psych evaluation. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"That really won't be necessary, Shizune-san," the Copy Ninja commented as the woman made her way over towards where Sakura lay, his hatred for hospitals seemingly intact. "I'm sure there are others who need looking after far more than this old man." Then, his tone grew sharper, visible eye drifting back to Genma's face, "Besides, I have an ex-student to track down… Naruto has gone to confront the man behind this attack."

The brown-haired man frowned, a twinge of concern creeping into his tone. "I know Naruto has a way with words, Kakashi, but Tsunade-sama's not exactly going to be thrilled to hear that you let him go running off to confront a member of the Akatsuki _alone_. For your sake, I do hope you thought that one through."

"It wasn't exactly like I had much a choice." Kakashi nodded towards where Sasuke stood. "Someone had to keep an eye on... _local_ matters. If it eases your mind, Pakkun is with him."

Genma shrugged noncommittally. "Well, I'll leave the chewing out to Tsunade-sama. Kami knows, she is far better with such tasks than I. You should take an ANBU platoon with you after Naruto. Oh, and try not to use any more chakra if you can manage it... Shizune'll kill me." Then, his eyes flicked over to Sasuke, tone hardening. "The remaining five of us should be able to deal with the Uchiha."

Sasuke shifted his shoulders slightly, his distaste for what was about to transpire growing. _Where would they take Itachi? Himself?_ The idea of letting his brother's corpse out of his sight was loathsome. _Could this man and the four anonymous ANBU standing with him be trusted_ not _to do something nefarious?_ They might be Leaf shinobi, but, thanks to Orochimaru, he was well aware of the lure of the Mangekyo's power and the manner in which individual ambitions could supercede even the most deeply sworn loyalties and ties. _And even if they_ did _do as they were told, what of the Elders? Of Danzo? Could he truly let Itachi's body be turned over to the likes of them?_

To his credit, Kakashi seemed to recognize his wariness. His charcoal eye drifted lazily over Sasuke's visage, confidently meeting his gaze square on in a message that was impossible to miss. Much as he ignored the Copy Ninja's advice in the past and chafed under his authority, he _had_ always seemed to have had his best interests at heart. "Genma is an old friend, Sasuke," he murmured softly. "He knew Itachi back in the day and is now part of Tsunade-sama's inner guard. I, for one, would trust him with my life, and I cannot say that about many other shinobi. When it comes to his motives, you have nothing to fear."

"Tch." Sasuke somewhat doubted _that_. After all, even if Genma wasn't after Itachi's eyes for himself, there was no telling what the Hokage and High Council would do once they got their hands on his body (or what his own punishment would be, for that matter). Still, Kakashi's faith in the senbon user was somewhat reassuring, and he didn't have much in the way of bargaining power at the moment. What was more, while he didn't have a deep knowledge of Konoha politics, he was vaguely aware (once again, courtesy of Orochimaru) that the current Hokage was not necessarily fast friends with the High Council. The idea that he and Itachi were to be entrusted to one of her men as opposed to a shinobi under Danzo's direct influence was undeniably preferable to any other alternative.

And so, willing himself to remember his brother and resist the lure of hatred clawing at his spirit, Sasuke permitted his hands to be bound with chakra restraints and his eyes blindfolded, praying all the while that his trust in Kakashi was not unfounded.

* * *

 _It was warm. Too warm. Had she fallen asleep by the fire?_ Sakura wiggled her body, seeking to move away from the invisible heat source, to no avail. If anything, the heat felt even _more_ suffocating with her every motion, wrapping itself around her frame despite her every effort to escape. _Kami, it was like she was cocooned in flames. Hm.. was this what hell was like?_ She didn't really think she'd done anything worthy of eternal damnation: a few white lies here or there; a bit of an unruly temper; Sasori's death under her belt, most deserved. Really, nothing too bad, particularly considering her profession.

Pink lashes slowly flitted open, seeking to make sense of it all. It appeared that Jiraiya, the campfire, and the marsh in which she'd previously found herself were long gone. Instead, she was lying flat on her back in what appeared to be a dim room, a few rays of late-afternoon light flitting in through a crack in the door. _Tent flap, actually_. The smothering warmth was coming from a fuzzy, cream-colored blanket in which she'd more-or-less been swaddled, one that she immediately recognized from Konoha's hospital. _Weird._ Moreover, in contrast to her previous state, she now felt positively terrible, body aching as if she'd been conscripted into one of Guy's particularly sadistic training regimens. But the strangest thing of all wasn't the setting or the lighting or the sudden discomfort. For slouched on the ground next to her, reading a little orange-covered book she immediately recognized as _Icha Icha Paradise_ and close enough that she'd be able to reach out and touch the right sleeve of his jounin duds if she could only muster the energy, sat Hatake Kakashi.

 _Oh, Kami, that Akatsuki bastard had slain Kakashi too!_ A gasp of dismay escaping her lips, Sakura attempted to sit up, but her former _sensei's_ arm shot out to grip onto her left shoulder, firmly keeping her body prone. "Now, now, no sudden moves there, Sakura-chan. Shizune will have my hide if she finds out you overtaxed yourself immediately after waking on my watch."

 _Shizune? Waking?_ _It appeared that Kakashi was even more unaware of his fate that she'd been before her little chat with the Toad Sannin._ Which was fair… his hand felt deliciously warm against her bare, clammy skin, and the sparkle of affection in his dark eye was so vibrant and lifelike. Even though Jiraiya had set her straight, it _was_ pretty hard to believe that _Kakashi_ could be dead.

The eye she was admiring crinkled into an otherwise hidden smile as Kakashi neatly shut his novel. "Mah, you're awfully quiet. But I suppose coming back from the dead is liable to be somewhat _off-putting_. You gave us quite the scare you know." Then, his smile faded, a rather strange, somewhat foreboding look creeping over his visage as his voice dropped to a low murmur. "Next time, I hope you think twice before jumping in front of a blade intended for an old man like me."

Sakura blinked up at him, attempting to process what exactly he'd just said. The explanation of her own actions she'd leave for slightly later, once she had more of a clue of what had happened. For the fact that Kakashi seemed to know that she'd died demanded her immediate attention, throwing her whole theory that he was the ignorant one rather dizzyingly into question. _Unless..._

Managing to summon a bit of moisture to her parched mouth, Sakura wet her lips, gaze never leaving Kakashi's, a part of her afraid that he'd vanish if it did. "Is _this_... some sort of reanimation jutsu?" she rasped, a prickle of fear creeping up her spine at the thought. While she hadn't exactly wanted to die, the idea that someone had summoned her spirit from beyond the grave to do his or her bidding was a far more disconcerting prospect. _It was just so… unnatural. But no, Orochimaru was dead, and no other shinobi was known to be pursuing such highly illegal work. Although she wouldn't entirely put it past Kabuto._ Still, even if Orochimaru's former henchman was pursuing the Snake Sannin's research, the idea that he'd chosen to resurrect _her_ of all people, and would do so by _Kakashi's_ side no less, was pretty dang farfetched.

Kakashi hummed a soft no, the pleasant sound sending a tingling warmth through her stomach at the realization of what that meant. _She was alive again. Somehow. Remarkably._ "A reasonable guess, but no, very fortunately not. I've yet to hear the full account firsthand, but it seems that Naruto managed to convince Nagato, the man who was behind Pein's actions, to resurrect all of the shinobi who perished in today's attack. There are a lot of Konoha residents who resent him - although I suspect that the number will decline significantly after his most recent heroics - but you can't say that Naruto doesn't possess a certain magnetism."

 _Once again, Naruto-kun had pulled off the seemingly impossible_. Sakura was obviously exceedingly grateful for whatever he had done - she owed him her life, after all - not to mention more than a little curious about how exactly he had accomplished such a feat (as usual, Kakashi's vague explanation left _a lot_ to be desired). But her mind was overflowing with other questions, as well. Given how quickly Pein's attack had unfolded, she expected that she'd missed quite a bit for however long she'd been out, and she also had yet to fully consider the implications of everything that Jiraiya had told her.

 _If Naruto had achieved such a feat, then he was safe... Itachi and Sasuke_ hadn't _turned him in to the Akatsuki. Why? Had Itachi intervened? Or... could Sasuke himself had changed his mind?_ _There had always been a certain, deep bond between he and Naruto. Could that have swayed him? If so, what did that say about the Uchiha brothers' current loyalties? Had they fully defected from the Akatsuki? And where were they now? And less importantly but more…_ personally _: After all that had transpired and what she'd learned from Jiraiya, how exactly did she feel about Itachi? About Sasuke? About Kakashi himself, for that matter?_

She pursed her lips, wondering where to even start her line of questioning. Right hand running slowly over the fuzzy edge of her blanket in thought, her green eyes bore into Kakashi's own, finding strength in the affection there. _Might as well begin at the beginning._ "Sensei, before I died… the last thing I remember… there was this _voice_. I could have sworn that it was Sasuke."

"Mmm… you weren't wrong," Kakashi confirmed slowly, as if weighing each word carefully. "Uchiha Sasuke _has_ returned to Konoha."

At that deceptively simple statement, Sakura's breath caught in her throat, a strange warmth welling up into her chest along with an emotion she wasn't sure she could even attempt to put a label on. For more than five years, she'd been waiting to hear those words… she'd fantasized about the moment almost daily, dreamed it hundreds of times at night. But now that it had actually come to pass, with everything she now knew, she was feeling distinctly conflicted. She still cared deeply for Sasuke - she _always_ would - and the knowledge that he'd returned brought her a certain amount of joy and relief, to be sure. But there were other emotions as well. Frustration... sorrow... sympathy... anxiety… anger... even, strangely, a modicum of guilt. Combined with love it was a heady mixture.

More practically speaking - and given her current state, focusing on practicalities was really for the best - Sasuke's return invited in another host of questions. How Konoha would treat him? Who exactly had he become in the intervening years? Why had he returned? Willingly? Under duress? And, of course, it was impossible to ignore one more... _complicating_ factor. "Kakashi, _Shishou_ had said that Sasuke had been traveling with his brother. Do you know where Ita-"

The name died on her lips. For the tent flap was rustling as the body of another pushed his or her way into the space. With a sharp intake of air, Sakura immediately fell silent, eyes darting to the entrance. Kakashi also sensed the intrusion. Fast as lightning, the open affection with which he'd been eyeing her disappeared from his gaze, his hand retracting from where it had settled on her bare shoulder, as if burnt. After all, he too had certain secrets to maintain.

They were just in time. A slender woman's figure stood in the entranceway, momentarily silhouetted by the light of the late afternoon sun. As the fabric fell to the ground, bathing them in twilight once more, the new arrival's identity instantly became clear. _Shizune!_ A medic-nin bag was slung across her right shoulder, and the rings underneath her eyes made her appear just as exhausted as Sakura felt. Nonetheless, as the woman's dark eyes met her own, a bright smile spread over her face. "Sakura, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but not too bad, all things considered," she replied, voice wavering slightly as the reality that she was _alive_ and speaking with Shizune with Kakashi by her side further sank in. The stress and emotions of the day beginning to overwhelm her, she found her eyes welling with un-kunoichi-like tears.

Shizune dropped to her knees by Sakura's right side, dark eyes sparkling with affection. "It's so _good_ to have you back, Sakura-chan. We were all so worried." Then, her tone grew somewhat more restrained, as well as a touch hesitant. "I know you're perfectly capable of assessing your own condition, but I'd like to have a look, if you don't mind? Just a few basic diagnostics to confirm everything is functioning as it should after… everything you went through."

"Of course."

To her left, she heard Kakashi shuffle slightly. "I can wait outside… or come back later?" he asked somewhat awkwardly.

"No… stay, _sensei_. I don't mind."

Seemingly ignoring their interaction, Shizune let out a sigh and positioned her pale hands over Sakura's torso. "I trust that Kakashi filled you in?" she asked gently, the green glow of chakra turning her face ghostly pale in the semi-darkness as she began to run through some initial vital checks.

Sakura nodded shortly, shutting her eyes as she savored the sound of Shizune's voice and the comforting sensation of Shizune's energy permeating her body. While releasing the _Byakugou_ had failed to preserve her life, it appeared that it had done quite the job of depleting her own chakra reserves. _Which was probably why she'd felt so vile when first waking, come to think of it._ "More or less. I understand that I have Naruto-kun to thank."

Shizune let out a confirmatory hum. "As it happens, you're one of the last to wake. From what I can tell, there was a correlation between severity of injury and amount of time necessary to return to consciousness. Your injuries.…" Given the size of the sword and the pain she'd experienced, Sakura could only imagine the state she'd been left in. Shizune grimaced before switching gears slightly. "It's truly a _remarkable_ jutsu. Not even Tsunade-sama has encountered anything even remotely like it before. But, then again, we are dealing with the Rinnegan."

With that, the dark-haired woman fell silent, eventually shifting over to the chakra examination portion of her evaluation. While Shizune's presence was certainly welcome, Sakura savored the time to collect her own thoughts, replaying the somewhat foggy recollections of her short-lived battle with the _dojutsu_ wielder and the far more concrete memory of her conversation with Jiraiya. She was just beginning to mull over their discussion of Uchiha Itachi's motives when a shift in the balance of her chakra informed her that Shizune had seemingly finished her exam.

Looking up, Sakura realized that the healer had turned her attention rather penetratingly onto Kakashi, who remained quietly to her left as requested, his nose presumably buried in _Icha Icha_. _What was that look about?_ Shizune didn't leave her guessing for long. " _Kakashi_ , I thought Tsunade-sama had told you to let us know the minute Sakura came to? We've been worried sick. And don't even get me started on Naruto-kun. Between Sakura and… _other matters_ , not to mention whatever transpired between he and that Akatsuki member, he's got everyone in the Hokage's tent at their wits end."

There was an unusual bite in Shizune's voice that caught Sakura somewhat by surprise. After all, the dark-haired woman was usually quite mild mannered - except when it came to Tsunade's drinking and gambling habits, that was - and she'd historically gotten on with Kakashi well enough. _But Shizune_ had _been in Tsunade's office when she and Kakashi had arrived together for their emergency briefing._ It appeared that not even her death and the destruction of Konoha were enough to make the perceptive woman forget about her newfound intimacy with her former _sensei_.

While Sakura wasn't looking forward to the fallout of that development, Kakashi seemed less than concerned. Or perhaps his mind was fixated on other priorities: A lot _had_ happened since their audience in Tsunade's office, after all, most of it far more serious than the implications of their liaison. He gave the medic-nin a casual shrug, voice taking on the lazy, airy tone he deployed when trying to shirk his way out of something. "Ah, must have slipped my mind. What with Sakura-chan dying and all, there was a lot of catching up to do."

At that, Shizune let out a heavy sight, her frustration clear. To Sakura's immense relief, however, she seemed to decide that now was not the time for lectures about failing to follow instructions and/or overstepping boundaries. Instead, she rose to her feet, her features softening once more as her voice returned to its steady, clinical tone (although it was a good deal more clipped than before) and her gaze to Sakura herself. "Well, your vitals are completely normal… just like with all the others brought back. Your chakra is quite low, and I suspect that Tsunade-sama is going to want to have a word with you about the current state of your seal. But there's nothing critical, and your reserves will obviously replenish with rest and time. A full night of sleep should do you a lot of good, I think."

None of this was really news to Sakura. As a medic herself, she was quite in tune with her own body, and the idea that her _Shishou_ would have some choice words to say about her first attempt to employ the Creation Rebirth technique was really only to be expected given the total failure of the outcome and the fact that she'd been warned against using it. Still, given how fortunate she felt to be alive, she found herself thanking Shizune fervently as the medic nin made her way to the exit with a gentle wave in Sakura's direction and another stern look at Kakashi.

As the tent flap closed behind the medic-nin's retreating figure, the Copy Ninja let out a long, low sigh that had Sakura wishing not for the first time that she possessed Yamanaka blood. "Something on your mind, _sensei_?" she asked, tired eyes searching the visible portion of his face for a clue to his thoughts that simply wasn't there.

Kakashi shrugged, tucking the novel he'd been holding into one of his many pockets. "Hmm? Oh, not much. Just estimating the number of bowls of ramen that Naruto will consume on his maiden visit once Ichiraku's is rebuilt. Nine seems on the high side, wouldn't you say?" He paused, right eye narrowing thoughtfully. "Then again, this _is_ Naruto-kun we're talking about…"

At that, despite _everything_ \- the uncertainty of the future, the stress and seriousness of the day, the fact that she still knew almost nothing of what had transpired, the awareness that Sasuke and, presumably, Itachi were somewhere in Konoha - Sakura found herself giggling. It definitely wasn't Kakashi's best work, but it warmed her heart all the same. _It was truly amazing what exhaustion could do to the fraying mind._

Then, her grin transitioned to a positively monstrous yawn, body beginning to fall sway to the lure of sleep despite the questions cluttering her mind. Kakashi rose to his feet, right hand trailing a final, feather-light touch along her arm before he too took his leave. "Rest easy now, Sakura-chan. Given what's to come, you should take advantage of all the recovery time you can get."


	37. The Extraction

_[AN: Hope everyone's had a good few weeks! I'm back from my trip and am pleased to bring you the next installment of "Secrets." I'm not really sure if anyone is interested in hearing about the way my writing develops(?), but I find those sorts of insights kind of neat when I'm reading what others have written, so here it goes... This particular chapter was actually in my original outline as just a few paragraphs of flashback to kick off the chapter that is going to end up being #39. As I started work on that content, however, I realized that this first scene is actually pretty key for Sakura's development (and I couldn't resist throwing in a bit more KakaSaku, sappy though I may be). So, Chapter 37 in its present form was born. Anyway, thank you again ever so much for the follows, favorites, and, most of all, the feedback. As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 37: The Extraction**

The sounds of saws, hammers, and drills resounded through the construction zone that was Konoha as Sakura wound her way towards the humble little tent that currently served as her _Shishou'_ s home base. While she'd briefly been out of the medical tent to which Shizune had confined her a few times since her return to life two days ago for some fresh air and sunshine, it was still hard to believe that the muddy roads and patchwork of tents, ruined buildings, and rough-hewn wooden structures was the same proud village in which she'd been born and raised.

Since waking, Sakura had been by turns anticipating and dreading her upcoming meeting with Tsunade. On the one hand, the appointment was a golden opportunity to learn more of what had happened in the village in the hours and days following Pein's attack, particularly when it came to Sasuke's and Itachi's whereabouts. While she'd attempted to press her visitors for details, Shizune ran a tight ship. This meant that her guests were relatively select in number: her parents (who could never be counted on for information about current events), Ino (who had apparently received a strict talking to about sticking to "safe" subjects), and Kakashi (who, after his initial synopsis of Naruto's confrontation with Nagato and Sasuke's return, proved reticent to provide any additional updates or even a hint regarding Itachi's activities). Deep down, Sakura knew that they all had her best interests at heart and were only trying to give her a chance to rest and recover, but the lack of any additional news had quickly grown frustrating and the hours on her sleeping mat decidedly dull. After two days of bed rest with no sign that Nagato's jutsu had caused any complications, she was more than ready to return to active duty.

On the other hand, there was also quite a bit to be wary about. Sakura had developed a talent for avoiding her _Shishou's_ infamous wrath in her five years as the woman's apprentice, but she wasn't really sure how she was going to wriggle out of trouble this time around. Tsunade was relatively liberal in her approach, but sleeping with one's former _sensei_ didn't seem like the sort of thing that the woman would condone, _particularly_ seeing as the _sensei_ in question also happened to be her intended successor for the Hokage's mantle. After all, if the Elders ever found out - and Danzo certainly had enough eyes and ears in the village to give himself an honest shot - Kakashi's chances at Rokudaime were liable to be sunk, putting Tsunade in a decidedly uncomfortable position.

Far more damning than that little sociopolitical faux pass, however, was the matter of the _Byakugou_. Despite Kakashi's insistence that she shouldn't have stepped in to save him, Sakura stood firmly by her decision to attempt to release her seal. As a medic, it was her sworn duty to protect her teammates with her life, and she never would have been able to forgive herself if Kakashi had died just because she hadn't had the guts to try using the jutsu. That being said, Sakura also couldn't deny that the act had been a direct rebuttal of Tsunade's orders… exactly what she'd sworn _not_ to do when her _Shishou_ had grudgingly agreed to teach her the technique several years ago. She could remember the conversation like it was yesterday… begging to learn the jutsu, Tsunade's muttered grumblings about her self-sacrificial streak making her apt to use it improperly, her own steadfast promise that she'd only draw on the seal in situations of dire need, once they confirmed that it was in good working order. _No,_ Shishou _wasn't going to be happy_ at all _..._

But most troubling of all was the question of what exactly she was about to learn. Sakura was eager to get a fuller picture of what exactly had transpired after she'd fallen and to know more about Sasuke's and Itachi's current activities. While she wasn't entirely sure how to label what she felt towards Sasuke anymore ( _was love supposed to hurt so much?)_ or what exactly to think of Itachi in light of her conversation with Jiraiya ( _she'd_ _fallen for him back when he'd held her captive... did she still feel that way?),_ she couldn't deny that she still cared deeply ( _painfully so_ ) for both brothers. Yet, much as she wished Tsunade to fill her in, she couldn't ignore the fear in her heart that the news wouldn't be pleasant. Given their rogue nin statuses, the High Council's past approach to dealing with the Uchiha clan, and the exceedingly airy and evasive tone Kakashi took on when she attempted to probe for answers yesterday afternoon, things weren't exactly looking up.

So, it was with a decidedly tentative smile and a rapidly beating heart that Sakura made her way past the ANBU guardswoman standing outside the Hokage's tent and ducked under the entrance flap to find herself one-on-one with the woman within. Tsunade was seated at a rickety wooden table in the otherwise unfurnished space, a few untidy stacks of paper littering the surface, her red, manicured nails tapping a steady rhythm that hinted at either thoughtfulness or impatience. _Very probably both._ As Sakura made her way to the center of the enclosure with a respectful nod, she could feel those analytical honey eyes upon her, scanning and probing in good medic-nin fashion. "Ah, Sakura. Glad to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"

The kunoichi shrugged. "Not bad, all things considered. It's good to be out of my tent. Shizune has been keeping a close eye on me the last couple of days."

Tsunade inclined her head slightly in what Sakura suspected was a silent admission of the fact that she'd been the one behind the decision to keep her on bed rest. "For good reason. Your behavior lately has been rather... _reckless_ , you know."

 _Oh Kami, here we go._ Gritting her teeth, Sakura braced herself for the lecture that Shizune had warned her about (which she probably deserved, if the truth be told). But it never came. Somewhat surprisingly, the older woman remained silent, continuing to eye her somewhat pensively for at least a solid minute. What was more, when she finally spoke again, her expression remained even keel and her tone relatively light and conversational. "I assume that Hatake and Shizune briefed you about the Rinne Rebirth jutsu and Naruto's latest round of heroics?"

"Hai, very briefly. I'll be interested to hear more about it from Naruto-kun himself, of course."

At that, Tsunade actually chuckled. "Oh, believe me, he's dying to see you. Shizune felt that you could use a couple of days of peace before we unleashed him upon you, and I can't say I disagreed. It appears that Nagato's resurrection jutsu was every bit as remarkable as the legends said, but one never knows when it comes to such uncharted territory…" She trailed off, expression growing more solemn. "Anyway, enough about the Rinnegan for now. I think you'll find that there will be plenty of time for further research into all that later. Today, there's a somewhat more pressing issue I'd like to discuss with you, given your... unique expertise."

 _Was this really her Shishou?_ Sakura eyed the woman seated before her in frank bewilderment. Their meeting wasn't going at all how she'd expected - not that she was going to complain about the absence of raging or the lack of punishment - and Tsunade's latest statement was the most confusing yet. _Whatever did she mean by "unique expertise"?_ While it was true that Sakura had come a long way since her genin days, the kunoichi wasn't really convinced that there was any area where she could truly claim superiority over her mistress. Yes, Tsunade occasionally liked to tell her that her chakra control was the finest she had ever seen, but she was still a chunin with much to learn… the events of the past few months stood in stark testament to that. Besides, raw chakra control itself didn't have a lot of _practical_ benefit on its own; it was really how one applied that ability that mattered, and she was nowhere near her mentor's level. " _Shishou_ … forgive me. I'm not quite sure I understand..."

Tsunade nodded, gaze unreadable and shoulders oddly heavy, as if carrying a great burden. "Of course… because I'm stalling. Given what I'm about to ask you to do, however, I really owe it to you to be straight, difficult though it is..."

She paused, letting out a deep sigh. "I'm speaking of the Sharingan. As I believe Kakashi told you, during Pein's attack on Konoha, the Uchiha brothers returned to the village. Kami knows what spurred the decision, but it turned out to be an immensely fortunate development. I'll admit I had my doubts after what transpired in Oto, but, in the end, Uchiha Itachi proved himself every bit as devoted to Konoha as you and Jiraiya claimed him to be. Following your death, he joined forces with Kakashi and the _Kyuubi_ to take down Pein's Six Paths, sealed away Orochimaru, and, finally, worked alongside his brother to suppress the Nine Tails before the beast could unleash his own flavor of destruction upon us. You know, I've never been particularly fond of descriptors like 'prodigy' and 'a once in a generation talent,' but, I have to say, the show he put on was undeniably Kage level."

As Tsunade's words, Sakura felt an electric current rush through her insides, a tingling warmth at hearing that Itachi had achieved his dream: returned to Konoha at its hour of need, freed Sasuke from the Snake Sannin's clutches, and reclaimed his place as a loyal shinobi of the Leaf. Yet, the heavy tone in which the woman spoke kept her nerves on edge. _Had something happened? Surely, Danzo_ hadn't _managed to convince his fellow Elders that the Uchiha was a menace after all that?_ "And where are they now? Itachi and Sasuke?"

Tsunade's expression hardened, the emotion in her amber eyes opaque despite Sakura's familiarity with her tells and mannerisms. "Sasuke remains in Konoha. Imprisoned, at least for the time being. Yamato was kind enough to outfit one of the underground shelters as a makeshift cell for him."

Sakura's mouth fell open in outraged shock. "He's been _imprisoned_? But _Shishou_ …"

A frustrated sigh fell from the older woman's lips, the first sign of her infamous temper rearing its formidable head. "The matter of your former teammate's fate is not my decision alone to make, Sakura. After five years by my side, you _know_ this. While Sasuke's most recent actions and those of his brother certainly speak to a change of heart, there is a history of half a decade to consider, and some of the Elders do not forgive and forget so easily. The High Council will be meeting to discuss the issue. And, _yes_ , save your breath. You, Naruto, and Kakashi will be among the first to find out once a decision is reached."

For a moment, the kunoichi considered protesting further, but the steely look in Tsunade's eyes promised that she'd get nowhere fast down that road. So, Sakura switched gears, returning her attention to the other pressing issue on her mind. "And Itachi? Is he being held by the village as well?"

Her heart beat stridently in her chest as she awaited her mistress's answer, a strange unease creeping over her as the moments ticked by without a response. _The strange use of the past tense, Tsunade's oddly solemn tone, Kakashi's reticence to say anything about his status, her own knowledge of how frail Itachi's body had been. It all added up in_ her _mind to the distinct possibility that... But no. That was impossible, wasn't it? Well, he certainly could have died, particularly if he'd accomplished all that Tsunade-sama had just said. But_ she'd _been brought back, as had all the other Leaf citizens killed during Pein's onslaught, so he definitely should have been, too. Then again,_ Shishou _was looking awfully grim..._

" _Shishou_? Itachi-san… he's not… he _couldn't_ be…"

Tsunade bowed her head, a wordless confirmation that Sakura's suspicions were correct. "I'm… _sorry_ , Sakura. We have yet to determine why, but not even the Rinne Rebirth could save Uchiha-san's life."

She could feel her eyes burning, her lungs suddenly seeming to have forgotten how to breathe. The pain was shocking and raw in its intensity - a testament to the respect and affection that her conversation with Jiraiya had reawakened towards the man - yet Sakura couldn't deny that the news of Itachi's death was in any way unexpected. Being a medic and having treated the rogue nin herself, she'd been well aware of his ill health, and there was simply no way he'd received the care necessary for his disorder during his time on the run, post-Oto.

Willing her mind to focus, her body to resist the lure of unshed tears, Sakura forced herself to meet Tsunade's gaze, jaw clenching with the effort of keeping her emotions suppressed. She suspected that she now knew what her _Shishou's_ comment about her unique expertise regarding the Sharingan was referring to, and the ugly realization of what was to come positively took her breath away. It was what Itachi had wanted… one of the reasons he'd kidnapped her in the first place, allowed her behind his mask, and provided her with the tome on his clan's _dojutsu_. She'd known it would very likely come to this. She'd agreed to it, more or less, back on Oto. But after everything they'd been through, the relationship, of sorts, that they'd shared, could she truly extract his Sharingan?

Tsunade seemed to sense her unease. "I sincerely wish I didn't have to ask you to do this, Sakura. But given the rarity of the _dojutsu_ at stake and the fact that you are my only medic-nin with practical experience with the Mangekyo Sharingan, I would strongly prefer your involvement with the procedure. If you are willing, that is. I've spoken with Shizune already; she's willing to be there for back-up… to perform the rest of the autopsy, if you'd prefer things that way. You don't need to decide right this minute, but I'd like your answer in the next day or two. For now, we have Uchiha-san's body sealed away, but there's no telling how long his eyes will remain stable."

Tsunade fell silent, watching her carefully. Much as a selfish part of her wished to refuse the assignment, such behavior would be a disgrace to Itachi's memory, not to mention a disservice to Sasuke if he ever had the misfortune of attaining a Mangekyo of his own. And so, willing her voice not to crack and fighting to keep her expression neutral, Sakura nodded shortly, spine straightening with her resolve. "I'll do it. First thing tomorrow morning, if Shizune is available."

From what she remembered reading, the procedure would be a relatively simple affair, particularly given her faculty for chakra control and her previous experience working on Itachi's eyes. That being said, given the emotions at play, Sakura suspected that the assignment would be one of the most difficult that Tsunade had ever given her.

* * *

Kakashi was reclining on his sleeping mat, nose tucked three-quarters of the way through _Icha Icha Violence_ , when a timid little knock on the front door of his new Yamato-constructed abode pulled his attention away from the pages. It was three days after Pein's attack on Konoha, and he'd been taking a much-needed afternoon off after a mind-numbing morning of observing the political shitshow otherwise known as an emergency meeting of the High Council. Becoming Rokudaime would be an honor… with Minato as his _sensei_ , Obito as his teammate, and Naruto his student, he could never forget that. _But all those meetings… ugh. How Tsunade had put up with it for five full years was far beyond him._

Admittedly, in Danzo's absence, this particular gathering hadn't been quite as miserable as usual. But that wasn't really saying much. The remaining "old-guard" Elders, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, were ornery and plodding as ever, not to mention horrifically biased against the Uchiha after their rich history with the clan. Kakashi considered himself a patient man, but it had been frightfully difficult keeping his eye twitchiness in check as they repeatedly demanded "the Uchiha traitor's _immediate_ execution." Well, he supposed that their fervor was understandable in a twisted, self-serving way. After all, if Sasuke ended up walking free, Homura and Koharu could very well be the ones whose necks were on the chopping block given his ex-student's well-known lust for vengeance. Still, even knowing that context, it hadn't exactly made their ranting easy listening or provided much room for negotiation when it came to figuring out the last Uchiha's fate.

 _But it hadn't_ all _been bad. After all, the result of their conversation had even been fairly favorable, particularly when one considered all the other feasible outcomes._ Danzo's "temporary" replacement - _like the old bastard would_ ever _be coming back_ \- had turned out to be Nara Shikaku. Kakashi had always rather liked the Nara Clan Head, and his addition to the Council was a definite boon for both the intellect and the relative youth that he brought to the table. When it came to the specific subject of Sasuke, he wasn't quite as willing as Tsunade to forgive and forget - _who would have thought that a_ Senju _would be the one to step in and save the Uchiha clan from extinction?_ \- but he proved willing to listen and hesitant to condemn. As such, after a great deal of circuitous debate and a deadlock vote on Sasuke's execution, it was decided, based on Shikaku's casually proffered recommendation, that the Uchiha would be subjected to a full evaluation by a medic-nin and an interrogation squad. _Which was really about as much as he'd been able to hope for, truth be told._

But that was enough stewing about Uchiha Sasuke's fate for the moment. Kakashi was supposed to be on break, after all, and there was still his unexpected guest to deal with as a second, slightly more insistent knock reminded him. Rising to his feet with a long sigh and a positively resonant back crack - _the wooden floor beneath his sleeping mat had_ not _done his beleaguered joints any favors... he'd be arthritic before he was forty at this rate_ \- Kakashi crossed his unfurnished room and unlatched the door to find himself looking down on a head of soft, pink hair and a pair of emerald eyes whose weariness suggested that he was not the only one who'd had a rough morning. Given something Tsunade had said during the Council session, he had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly why his ex-student was standing on his doorstep looking so morose. That being said, he figured that he might as well try and keep things light, at least to start. "Ah, Sakura-chan. You managed to track down my new address, I see. I take it that Shizune finally saw fit to release you from the prison otherwise known as your medical tent?"

The kunoichi hummed distractedly, shifting her weight from foot to foot in clear discomfort. _Well, so much for his attempt at levity._ "Would you like to come in? I'd offer you a chair, but, right now, I'm a bit light on furniture, as I'm sure you'll understand."

Sakura nodded shortly, lips set in a straight line. "The floor is fine. _Arigato, sensei._ "

Kakashi stood back, allowing her to enter, eyes following her lithe figure as she made her way over to his sleeping mat and silently settled herself on one corner, expression blank and body tense. Very fortunately, Tsunade had been considerate enough to let him know that she intended to ask Sakura about being the one to harvest Itachi's Sharingan a couple of days ago… although it would have been nice if she'd explicitly warned him that today had been the day of the operation. _Hm..._ p _erhaps she'd been worried about him attempting to interfere. After all, he_ _hadn't been very happy or supportive of the Godaime's plan_. Kakashi didn't dispute that Sakura had grown mentally tough or that the most qualified medic ought to be in charge of the operation given the immense value of Itachi's eyes, but his stubborn, protective side had nonetheless refused to stay quiet, revolted by the prospect of putting the woman through such additional hardship. _Well, it was seemingly too late for regrets… which meant it was time for emotional damage control. He certainly had plenty of practical firsthand experience with_ that _._

Shutting the door, Kakashi settled himself across from Sakura, meeting a haunted, quasi-guilty gaze that reminded him rather stirringly of a certain mission to Kiri from his distant past. It was _exceedingly_ tempting to feign ignorance, but given that look, it was far too clear that she knew that he knew. Besides, those easy days of pushing off her concerns, patting her on the head, and telling her that everything would be all right were long gone. Haruno Sakura was no longer a little girl, and treating her as anything other than the mature, battle-hardened kunoichi that she'd become would be an insult. Particularly after what had transpired between them just a few days prior. "So… I take it that the procedure was a success?" he asked slowly, striving to keep his voice slow and calm.

His companion gave him a half-nod, right hand trailing up to finger a little golden key strung on a chain around her neck that he couldn't recall ever seeing her wear before. "Hai," she mumbled distantly, twirling the trinket as if lost in thought. Then, her green eyes hardened in what Kakashi immediately recognized as long-held anger, and her tone grew sharp and dangerous. " _Sensei_ … why didn't you _tell_ me?"

Kakashi frowned behind his mask, wishing not for the first time that he'd been straighter with his genin team back in the day. _Difficult though it would have been at times, it would have saved them all great deal of grief._ "I… wanted to," he admitted gently, right hand taking her cool left in his. "But after all you'd been through… given the state of your body and your mind…. Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san both felt that you could use a couple of days to recover unburdened, and I certainly wasn't going to be the one to stand in the way of that."

Sakura's gaze softened slightly, clearly somewhat mollified. Letting out a deep sigh, she blinked slowly, as if centering her thoughts. "Shizune stayed by my side throughout… but I did it all. Performed the operation and the autopsy, I mean. It was difficult… but it was what he told me he wanted... that he _intended_ his eyes to go to Sasuke. Of course, _Kami_ knows if that will ever happen now given how things with the High Council apparently are. But _Shishou_ instructed me to hold onto the key to the locker where we're keeping the Mangekyo, so there's still hope." She glanced down at the pendant she was wearing contemplatively. "There's also a protective jutsu in place, of course, tied to my blood. I just hope it's enough. If anyone were to get their hands on Itachi-san's eyes…"

The kunoichi trailed off, biting her full lower lip as her verdant eyes swam with tears. With a heavy sigh of his own, Kakashi reached out to her, drawing her slender body into his when she gave no resistance. Her figure felt so small, soft, and vulnerable against his chest, a perfect camouflage for the destructive power that lay within. Despite the bitterness of the moment and the heavy knowledge of what Sakura had gone through, he found it impossible to ignore the sweet pleasure of holding her in his arms again. Kakashi was under no delusions - given his standing in the village and the way they'd started out, as _sensei_ and student, they had no future together, and he himself had an admittedly limited interest in the sorts of ties Sakura would almost certainly desire one day - but he would savor the time they had nonetheless.

Leaning down, Kakashi kissed the center of her forehead tenderly through his mask. "You've done well, Sakura. Itachi would be grateful to know that his legacy rests in such capable hands, as he intended. As for the future..."

He fell silent, gently guiding her chin slightly upwards so that their gazes met, the memory of a dying pledge made long ago to a boy with blood-red eyes in a cave somewhere in Earth Country momentarily flitting through his mind. "Tempted as I am, I learned long ago the danger of making promises I cannot keep. I can offer you no true assurances regarding the fate of Itachi's Mangekyo or Sasuke's life, for that matter. That being said, your _Shishou_ has done her part to ensure that Sasuke has a fighting chance. At this moment in time, his fate rests, for better or for worse, in his own hands."


	38. The Last Uchiha

_[AN: So, first order of business... I do apologize to all the Itachi fans out there for the way things have gone down the last few chapters. He's one of my favorites too, and writing him off wasn't an easy decision, believe me! Truth be told, I almost changed course completely and kept him around, but that would have required me to more or less abandon the rest of what I've plotted out, and I kind of like where we're headed. That being said, don't despair! This_ might _have been the last you see of him in_ Secrets _(you never know...),_ _but I've got lots more Itachi content to come (including at least two aforementioned ItaSaku stories on the backburner, one of which I plan to start on after wrapping up this current project). As always, thank you very much for the comments, the feedback, the follows, and the favorites. This content is rated M (which you've presumably figured out by now, but I feel I should say anyway), and I'll never own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 38: The Last Uchiha**

Following his surrender, Sasuke had been summarily whisked away by the man Kakashi had called Genma and one of the ANBU platoons to what he'd presumed was some sort of underground holding cell. Their progress through Konoha had been largely silent, the only words uttered a terse command from Genma to the shinobi under his direction about heading towards HQ. Sightless, with his chakra suppressed, Sasuke had been somewhat tempted to ask whoever was leading him along about the whereabouts of Itachi's corpse, but he'd quickly dismissed the idea, not wishing to express any sort of emotion that could be conceived as weakness… _although it was likely too late for that after what Kakashi had witnessed_. Besides, he'd rather doubted that a Leaf nin would actually be willing to reveal such sensitive information to a "traitor" such as himself.

After what had felt like a fifteen- or twenty-minute trek, Sasuke had been deposited in the prison that had been his home since. Told to undress for inspection with his eyes still covered but his wrists untied, the guardsmen had quickly and silently relinquished him of his _chokuto_ , kunai kit, and other assorted hidden weapons strapped to his body. It had been an admittedly less than pleasant experience, leaving him feeling more exposed and defenseless than he'd been in years. Indeed, a part of his mind broiled, even over two days later, at the thought that the last member of one of Konoha's founding clans had been subjected to a strip search. But, such behavior was only to be expected - in Oto, new prisoners would have been exposed to _far_ worse - and given the destruction he'd brought about, he could afford to suffer the indignity.

Next, his old clothes from Oto had been taken _(good riddance)_ , and he'd been left with a plain white shirt and a pair of dark pants with a drawstring waist. Once he was clothed, Genma had removed the blindfold, briefly informing him that a barrier had been put up around his prison that would prevent him from accessing any of his chakra or activating his _dojutsu_. _Which he didn't really_ need _to bother stating… it wasn't exactly hard to tell._ The jounin and two of the four accompanying guardsmen had then departed, the remaining pair locking Sasuke in and settling in for what was presumably first watch.

Since then, he had been a captive for approximately three days, give or take a few hours. It was an estimate that he'd wager was fairly accurate despite the total lack of sunlight. For, thanks to a half-decade of life in Oto, he was well accustomed to telling time without much in the way of visual clues. And, of course, the regularity of his provided meals and the changing of the guards standing watch outside his cell further helped.

When it came the treatment he was receiving, Kakashi _hadn't_ lied… Sasuke had had little to complain about. Having never before been a captive, he didn't have much means of comparison, but based on what he did know, he was being handled quite humanely. His guards were showing a surprising amount of restraint given his missing-nin status and starring role in Pein's attack on their village: No muttered slurs, baiting, or comments about his traitorous history or Itachi's death, and his meals were simple yet wholesome and seemingly uncontaminated. Indeed, even the stone-walled cell in which he was imprisoned, while possessing little more than a pallet for sleeping, a rather scratchy blanket, and a bucket, was perfectly warm and dry, more or less comparable to the underground room that he'd called home over the course of his five years in Oto. Instead, it was his mind that was proving to be his greatest antagonist.

Since being brought in, he'd been left largely to his own devices, other than the occasional nonverbal interruption for meals. Ordinarily, Sasuke would have preferred things that way: He'd never been exactly sociable, after all, and had little real interest in engaging with anyone - and certainly not a _Leaf_ shinobi - after all that had transpired on the day of Pein's attack. That being said, the silence and monotony of his prison had undeniably grown stale as he continued to wait, alone in the dark, for something, _anything,_ to happen.

Deprived of his preferred means of distraction - the physical and mental exhaustion that came from pushing his body to its limit through training - Sasuke tried to calm his spirit via the various meditative techniques Orochimaru had taught him. However, much as he tried, he couldn't will away the heaviness that had first settled over him at the sight of Pein's blade carving its way through Sakura's slender body. Her death played over and over again in his mind like some twisted vision of _Tsukuyomi_... _The leap through the air... the grimace of pain that contorted her pale face as the light in those startlingly emerald eyes faded... the blood… so much blood… everywhere..._

He shook his head, feverishly willing away the image, only to have it replaced a heartbeat later by another, the second phase of his torment. Itachi's face swam before him as he last remembered it… deathly pale, blood running from his right eye and staining the corner of his mouth as those chapped lips parted to address him, breath coming in gasps. His hoarse assurance him that he'd love him forever, no matter what. His needless apology for everything he'd put him through… _as if what had happened somehow rested on him_. The small, sad smile that had slowly curled across his face, sending one, final spark of life to his dark eyes as Sasuke had sworn that he'd make things right, that he understood now, that he'd set aside his anger, do everything in his power to make his _nii-san_ proud, if he just _wouldn't die_. And then, his final words, murmured so softly that he'd scarcely been able to make them out... " _I'm sorry, Sasuke. This time, there can be no 'later.'"_

With a shudder, Sasuke turned his face to the wall, not wanting to give the shinobi on the other side of the bars the satisfaction of knowing how fully he was suffering. Eyes tracing the ridges of the rough-hewn stones, he grit his teeth, mind churning with a wave of emotion, the damning knowledge of what he'd done and what he hadn't been able to prevent clashing with an anger that refused to die, fighting for dominance over his spirit. For, despite the grief it had caused him, the lives it had claimed, and his own promise to Itachi that he would let it go, the specter of revenge continued to haunt him. _Where was Itachi's corpse now? Had Danzo managed to lay claim to his body, stolen his Sharingan? And what would he do with Itachi once he'd taken what he'd wanted? Would his brother's life of loyal service to Konoha truly see him rewarded with nothing more than a criminal burial in an unmarked grave?_

Itachi had told him weeks ago that hate was not the answer. Recent history had opened his eyes to that truth, yet how could he bring himself to embrace a village that still gave power to the man who had led to his brother's ruin? His _clan's_ destruction? He knew what Itachi had wanted for him… to return to the village, to live out his life as a force for good, closing the chapter once and for all on that ugly night of massacre. In a way, it was an attractive dream, and the thought that he'd be unable to live up to his promise pained him more than he could say. But as long as Shimura Danzo still walked free, presiding over Konoha as a respected figure, _an Elder_ , it was simply too much to let be.

* * *

The past four days had been some of the longest in Senju Tsunade's memory. While some sections of the village had more-or-less escaped Pein's wrath - the Uchiha District was minimally impacted thanks no doubt to its lack of residents, while the Hyuuga and Sarutobi Compounds saw relatively minor damage - large swatches had been virtually flattened in Pein's attack, turning the streets into a literal campground. Generations of history and so many of the places of her youth had been wiped out: the training grounds where she, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya had grown up into the legendary Sannin... the rooftop balcony on which she'd long ago given Nawaki their grandfather's necklace... the maze-like Commercial District through which she and Dan had so often ambled as they discussed their hopes and dreams for the future... even the Hokage's tower that had stood as one of Konoha's most recognizable symbols since the days of the First.

But the village was much more than buildings, roads, trees, and memories. For, as Sarutobi-sama had always liked to tell her, the _people_ were its true strength. And thanks to the heroics of one Uzumaki Naruto - not to mention a significant assist from Uchiha Itachi, of all people - the population remained unscathed (with a couple of notable exceptions), and the Will of Fire strong as ever. _And industrious._

Courtesy of Yamato and her grandfather's legendary Wood Release, the rebuilding of Konoha was already well underway, taking one major concern - how to house the shinobi and civilians she'd sworn to protect with her life - more-or-less off of her mind. _Which was a very good thing indeed, because there remained_ a lot _to worry about._ For starters, the destruction of most of Konoha's infrastructure represented much more than a simple housing crisis. With the village's gates and walls decimated, they were basically sitting ducks, and Tsunade knew firsthand that kicking one's enemy while down was an unofficial amendment to the Shinobi Rules. Of course, they were by no means in it alone; some of the nearby civilian towns in Fire Country had already donated much-needed supplies, and the Leaf's close alliance with Suna would certainly help mitigate their defense issue. Given that Gaara himself had been the target of a successful kidnapping by the Akatsuki mere months ago, however, he could really only afford to spare so many shinobi. And, looking elsewhere, while relations with the other three Great Nations had certainly improved of late, Tsunade still found herself somewhat reticent to reach out to the Raikage, Mizukage, or Tsuchikage for assistance. After all, old grudges died hard, and all three Kage drove a hard bargain.

She was hopeful that Nagato's defeat - _or perhaps it really ought to be called a conversion given how Naruto described the event as having gone down_ \- had set their greatest current enemy, the Akatsuki, back a few notches. _And really, how could it not_? As Tsunade had witnessed just a few days ago, the Rinnegan was one hell of a weapon, which couldn't _not_ make its loss a major blow. Given that Konoha now found itself in the possession of those legendary eyes, it was an even greater change of momentum… if they figured out how to actually _use_ Nagato's final gift, of course.

 _It was truly a pity Jiraiya was no longer around to lend his wisdom._ Tsunade grieved the loss personally, of course. Of _both_ of her old teammates, if the absolute truth be told, albeit in intensely different ways. That being said, the Toad Sannin's death was also a massive blow to the village more broadly. Given his past involvements in Hidden Rain, he'd almost certainly possessed a knowledge of the Rinnegan that went far beyond what little sat in Konoha's half-destroyed library. And his expertise very obviously didn't end there. In addition to his remarkable abilities when it came to ninjutsu, _fuinjutsu_ , and _senjutsu_ , he'd also been invaluable for the intelligence he'd provided, as well as the companionship and the humor. Since Tsunade had donned the Hokage's hat, he'd been her foremost advisor on all things Akatsuki - the _only_ one with a direct informant in their inner circle - not to mention a myriad of other off-the-cuff points. _And given that Shimura Danzo had finally revealed his true colors, she could have really used the additional input about now..._

But that old bastard would have to wait. Much as she looked forward to seeing Danzo finally earn his comeuppance for the decades of lies and manipulations he'd spun, all in the name of his perverse vision of Konoha, there were too many other fish to fry at the moment. Such as the Uchiha brothers. _B_ _rother, really_. While Uchiha Itachi and his remarkable eyes had been sorted out - and the knowledge of what she'd put her apprentice through to achieve that outcome was liable to haunt Tsunade for the rest of her own life - there remained the vexing, incredibly divisive matter of Uchiha Sasuke.

The Godaime had utterly no doubt that the last remaining Uchiha would prove a difficult assignment, but she'd never been one to back down from a challenge. Or a wild gamble when it struck her fancy (and it pretty much always did). Which was why, the morning of the fourth day after Pein's attack on Konoha, she found herself charting a brisk course towards the underground bunker that Yamato had outfitted as a prison, despite Homura's and Koharu's protests that the man deserved death, not a one-on-one audience with the Hokage; Shikaku's more reasoned argument that confronting a shinobi who for all intents and purposes loathed the very village she was sworn to protect was of dubious utility; and Ibiki's characteristically dark insistence that turning the Uchiha over to him would be the quickest, most efficient means of getting him talking.

Flanked by her personal guards, Raido to her left, Genma behind, and Iwashi to her right, the Hokage descended the sloping passage in silence, the only noise the gentle thud of their footsteps on the packed dirt floor. As she reached the pair of ANBU standing guard, they bowed their heads in her direction, unable to entirely disguise the way their shoulders shifted in surprise. Giving the duo a polite nod, she continued on, following the tunnel to its conclusion: the prison cell itself.

Frowning slightly, Tsunade eyed the man behind bars with some interest, the light of Iwashi's lantern illuminating his features. His was a profile she'd last seen in a hospital bed over a half-decade ago, back when he'd been a sullen brat of just barely thirteen. _Appearance wise_ _, O_ _to had been surprisingly good to him,_ she found herself thinking as her gaze ran over an unruly mop of dark hair; midnight eyes that glared out at her with overt hostility from the cot on which he was perched; a pale, handsome face with high cheekbones, a well-proportioned nose, slender lips, and a decidedly masculine jawline; and a body that not even his poor posture and ill-fitting attire could entirely disguise. _Or perhaps it was just good genetics._ Of course, as a Senju, the Uchiha definitely wasn't her cup of tea, and she was also almost old enough to be his grandmother (not that she looked a day over twenty-two, of course), but she still had to hand it to her apprentice. Emotionally, there was _a lot_ to be desired, but Sakura did seem to have excellent taste in the looks and talent departments. _Uchiha Itachi, Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Sasuke… not bad, Sakura-chan. Not bad at all._

But that was probably enough of channeling dear Jiraiya's spirit for one morning. After all, there was plenty of serious business to attend to, and she was more than happy to leave the recently vacated position of Konoha's Number One Pervert to the Copy Ninja and his _Icha Icha_ addiction. Meeting the captive's gaze square-on, she stood before the cell, arms crossed over her chest. "Uchiha Sasuke. So, you've decided to rejoin us in Konoha."

His lip curled the barest bit, the only sign that he had heard her. Well, such arrogance was really only to be expected… pretty much on par with just about every other Uchiha she'd ever had the misfortune of knowing. _What a pain. Perhaps she_ should _have let Ibiki take a first crack at him._ But no, she'd rolled the dice, and now she'd have to reap the consequences. Besides, she couldn't deny feeling some modicum of sympathy (and even a twinge of guilt) for everything Sasuke had been put through. He had made some _exceedingly_ bad choices in life - defecting from Konoha, running off to Orochimaru, allying with the Akatsuki, plotting to destroy his own village, attempting to turn his ever-loyal teammate over to a fate worse than death - but the position he'd been put in at the tender age of _eight_ …. a clanless orphan deceived by the brother he'd so loved and left with nothing more than an empty district and a thousand questions to his name... _damn you, Danzo._

Willing herself to scrape together every bit of patience she could muster, which admittedly wasn't much, Tsunade reloaded. _If he had utterly no interest in civility, then she_ certainly _wasn't going to force it upon him_. "Out with it, Uchiha. You've accomplished your wish. Uchiha Itachi is dead. Wasn't that what you'd wanted?"

She was baiting him, pure and simple, seeking to knock down that carefully constructed wall of feigned _ennui_ by hitting him where it should hurt most, assuming Kakashi's intel had been correct, that was. And the question appeared to have its desired effect, for those wild, pitch-black eyes grew even darker, brow clenching in anger as he glared impotent fire. For a moment, the Hokage found herself wondering if she'd pushed it too far, but it appeared the Orochimaru's onetime pupil had learned a touch more restraint than Jiraiya's or her own. As the anger ebbed away from his features, gaze never quite losing its murderous glint, he spoke, tone somewhat hoarse from disuse, yet cold as ice. " _Tch_. That was then. I've learned to see through Konoha's lies. My target has changed. I seek Shimura Danzo's _blood_."

Most unsurprisingly, that confirmed Kakashi's somewhat tentative report: Uchiha Sasuke had learned the truth behind his clan's downfall. As for what he wanted... well, it was a total and complete jackpot, rather ironically courtesy of the man who had been the biggest thorn in her side since she became Hokage. "Ah. Our aims are the same then," Tsunade observed, a thin smile playing across her lips. "On _that_ point, at least. I think you'll be interested to hear that Shimura Danzo disappeared five days ago… sometime during your attack on Konoha. Given the timeline, I have good reason to believe that he had _advance knowledge_ of Pein's onslaught. Which suggests _collusion_."

She paused, darkly bemused by the expression of mild surprise staring back at her. _So, that admittedly handsome face was capable of more that petulant glaring, after all._ "Of course, seeing how fragile the village is right now and the opposition of Danzo's High Council colleagues to any official declaration, such treachery cannot be public knowledge. But I've instructed the Black Ops on his trail to seize and detain him _alive_ if and when they find him."

* * *

 _Senju Tsunade._ Sasuke knew relatively little of the kunoichi in whose hands his fate presently rested. For whatever reason, Orochimaru had rarely said much of his former teammates, and Sasuke himself had never had a particular interest in asking, usually opting to keep conversations with the Snake Sannin brief and focused on his training. What he did know was brief; the sort of information one would find in a Bingo Book. She was a renowned medic with legendary strength, penchants for gambling and liquor, and an infamous temper, granddaughter to the First Hokage, niece of the Second, and disciple of the Third. She'd departed Konoha for a number of years, only to return soon before his own departure from the village to take on the mantle of Hokage, allegedly under duress. And she was Sakura's mentor, the woman who had overseen her development into the kunoichi that had leapt to her death right before his eyes mere days ago.

And now the Godaime stood there, before his jail cell, amber eyes shining rather aggressively as she informed him that his target was a wanted man in the village he had steered from the shadows for decades. _Did Tsunade share the Toad Sannin's alleged sense of humor? Or, perhaps, this some sort of trap?_ The deadly look in the woman's fierce gaze argued against the former, and, given the he was already at her mercy, there really was no need for the latter. Which meant that she might very well be telling him the truth, shocking and unlikely as the development seemed.

Annoyed that he had permitted his emotionless mask to slip away for a moment, Sasuke schooled his features, returning the Hokage's stare with cold intent as he considered his next move. "That may be. Tell me. What have you done with Itachi's body?" he asked, willing his voice to keep a steady cadence. Perhaps such directness was reckless given the woman's infamous temper and status, but given his current circumstances, he saw little point in playing games.

Tsunade appeared unfazed by the question. "He's been buried in the Uchiha clan plot. Thanks to its peripheral location, the cemetery was spared during Pein's attack."

"Hn." _An acceptable outcome. Probably what Itachi would have wanted._ But a major sticking point remained. "And his _eyes_?"

Tsunade's lips tightened slightly. "Per the custom of your clan, they were extracted prior to burial. They are safely in my apprentice's possession."

At that, Sasuke felt a sudden rush of anger pulse through his body, all the pain, remorse, and rage that had been brewing inside him rising to the surface. "You _lie_ ," he spat, aware that his emotions were careening out of control yet not particularly caring. "Sakura is _dead_. She died before my eyes." _And, to his remorse, he had done_ nothing _to stop it._

A shadow of a smile crossed the Hokage's face, adding further fuel to the fire inside him. _Did she find his grief amusing?_ _Sakura had been_ her _apprentice… did she care so little?_ "Ah. You're behind the times, Uchiha. Thanks to Naruto's influence, Nagato - or perhaps you knew him as Pein - brought back the shinobi who perished in his attack. It appears that the Rinnegan's ultimate technique is a reincarnation jutsu."

Sasuke's brow furrowed. The idea that the Rinnegan allowed one to conquer death wasn't actually all that far-fetched given that it was the greatest of all the _dojutsu_. But why _Itachi_ , a man who had gone further than almost any other shinobi for the sake of his village, hadn't received the same treatment…

Tsunade seemed to anticipate his question. Expression softening, she let out a surprisingly heavy sigh. "Unfortunately, your brother turned out to be a… _particular case_. While chakra exhaustion was a contributing factor, Sakura's autopsy revealed that his actual cause of death was asphyxiation resulting from the hemorrhaging of his lungs, an unfortunate consequence of his autoimmune disorder. Nagato's jutsu may very well have brought him back for a moment, but it appears that there are limits even to the healing powers of the Rinne Rebirth."

"His _disorder_?" _Had Itachi been unwell?_ His brother had never really _said_ anything about a sickness in the months they'd traveled together. But now that Sasuke truly thought about it, the signs had been there. The exhaustion, the lethargy, the surprisingly weak chakra signature, and the lack of interest in joining him in any sort of training had all been rather peculiar. At the time, he had chalked the behavior up to Itachi's resistance to his plans and the same tendency he'd shown as an adolescent to hold him an arm's reach. But the Godaime's explanation was… feasible.

For a moment, Tsunade looked almost sad. "You didn't know. I suppose that's only to be expected of Uchiha Itachi… secrets to the end." Then, with a slight cough, the woman straightened her shoulders, tone regaining its typical brashness. "Now… as to _your_ fate. You'll be interested to hear that the High Council was split two-and-two on how you ought to be handled. I shouldn't need to tell you that you should be _exceedingly_ grateful that Danzo chose when he did to show his true colors... Nara Shikaku was far more favorably disposed towards your case than Shimura ever would have been. You're to remain imprisoned, pending full medical, psychiatric, and T&I evaluations. Based on those results and your degree of _compliance_ , we will determine next steps."

Sasuke gave a vague nod, the pit of his stomach twisting uncomfortably. The news that he wasn't about to be summarily executed or blinded was welcome, and the knowledge that Sakura remained _alive_ buoyed his spirits further in a way he wasn't entirely sure he cared to analyze at that moment. Moreover, with Danzo having gone rogue, a path was seemingly paved for his own reintegration into Konoha. On the other hand, Itachi remained dead, his feelings towards the village as a whole were murky at best, and the future was by no means certain. He could survive the layered interrogations that the High Council apparently had planned for him - nothing Konoha was willing to put him through could possibly measure up to some of Kabuto's more creative "treatments" or Orochimaru's mental manipulations - but, given all he'd done over the course of his five years as a rogue nin, it was still hard to see how he'd come out of this a free, whole man.

Tsunade seemed to sense his wariness. Voice dropping slightly in tone, she eyed him beadily, a twinge of what almost appeared to be nervousness sliding over her features. "You're on extremely thin ice, brat. If not for yourself, for the sake of your old team, I hope you'll take this opportunity seriously."

"Ah." He intended to. As long as the shinobi who would be evaluating him let him, that was.


	39. The Examination

_[AN: Happy Halloween! This was one of those chapters I've been really looking forward to writing: It was actually one of the first scenes I thought up when I began mentally crafting this story. As a result, it came together quite quickly and also ended up a bit on the longer side (two not-so-bad things, at least in my opinion!). Thank you as always for the follows, favorites, and comments... I've so appreciated the steady support and interest. As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 39: The Evaluation**

Tsunade sat at the rickety wooden table that had served at her desk for almost five days now, since the evening following Pein's attack on Konoha. Nursing a steaming cup of green tea, she watched the sun rise over the Hokage Mountain through the eastern-facing window in her newly finished office, low and blood red on the horizon. Given her fondness for late-night cards and midnight sake, the Godaime had never been much of an early riser, and she ordinarily instructed Shizune to avoid scheduling anything earlier than nine. These days, however, there was utterly no time for leisurely morning lie-ins. Since the afternoon of Pein's attack, Tsunade had been burning the candle into the wee hours, and this was the fifth consecutive morning that she was up before the sun, not that she was necessarily counting. The schedule reminded her of her old war days, but this time around, it was decidedly more exhausting. _Probably something having to do with being in her fifties instead of her twenties._

Across the room, Shizune's familiar knock rung out upon the closed door, signaling the arrival of her first appointment of the morning. Stifling a yawn, the blonde ran her hands over her face, willing her body to wake up and her mind to focus on the conversation to come. Meetings with Sakura didn't used to be the sort of things that required any sort of preparation or planning, but that situation had changed dramatically since the night of her apprentice's kidnapping by Uchiha Itachi. She was still Haruno Sakura, of course, but the young woman's experiences over the past few months had matured her, transforming her from a somewhat wide-eyed novice with plenty of potential to a battle-hardened kunoichi. Tsunade was proud of the way that her young charge handled the adversity that had befallen her in the Uchiha's wake. But she was also somewhat wary about the amount of pressure being foisted upon those slender shoulders, as well as more than a little guilty about the part that she'd played in adding to that burden. Sakura was mentally strong - she wouldn't have been able to survive five years as her apprentice if she hadn't been - but even the toughest shinobi had a limit.

Shizune knocked a second time, muffled voice cutting through the barrier. "Tsunade-sama? Are you awake in there? Sakura is here for your 7 am."

The Hokage cleared her disused throat, taking another swig of tea in a futile attempt to chase away her exhaustion. _Might as well get this over with._ "Hai. Enter!"

The door swung open to reveal Shizune's pale face, dark eyes underlined by heavy circles and clipboard clutched to her chest. _She needs a vacation… then again, we all do._ Close on her heels was Sakura herself, who didn't actually seem to be doing too badly, all things considered. Sure, she too looked as if she could use a few weeks of rest and relaxation and her already fair skin was a shade or two paler than usual, but there was a focused light in her green eyes that Tsunade rather liked the look of, and she carried herself with a certain strength and purpose, spine straight and shoulders back.

The two women bowed their heads politely, and Tsunade returned the gesture. Then, Shizune made to turn back towards the door. "I'll be just out -" she began, but Tsunade cut her off with a quick shake of her head.

"No. Stay with us, Shizune. What I'm about to discuss with Sakura also applies to you."

The dark-haired woman nodded, directing her attention back towards the desk. Tsunade released a tired sigh, honey eyes finding Sakura's curious gaze. _Was this a good idea?_ After five years of overseeing her apprentice's development, she couldn't _not_ know how the kunoichi felt about the Uchiha brat. As such, she was somewhat concerned that what she was about to propose could very easily be taken the wrong way… as if she didn't think Sakura capable of setting aside her emotions. Which wasn't it _at all_ … she was just trying to give the kunoichi some semblance of a break after her Sharingan extraction assignment...

 _Hmph. Enough speculation. With all the "what ifs," she was beginning to sound like Homura and Koharu. And that was definitely_ not _how_ _she wanted to end up. A_ dopting her usual "let's get this done, STAT" tone, Tsunade launched into business. "It's too early for pleasantries, so I'm going to go ahead and strike at the heart of the matter. As Shizune already knows, the High Council met two days ago to discuss the matter of Uchiha Sasuke." The dark-haired medic nodded, while Sakura's luminous green eyes widened in nervous anticipation. "The discussion was lengthy, but productive." _That was putting it mildly and very diplomatically._ "At the recommendation of Nara Shikaku, we will be conducting a full interrogation and examination of the Uchiha before coming to a ruling, which will include a full medical evaluation to take place later this morning."

Figuring that that was enough to start, Tsunade paused, eyes darting from Sakura to Shizune and then back to Sakura. Sure enough, her apprentice was now a good three or four shades paler than usual, but she didn't appear in any danger of passing out (yet), so the Hokage proceeded on to the crux of the matter. "Sakura, I realize that the Uchiha was your teammate and that you may feel a certain sense of... _responsibility_ towards him." _Among other things, none of which_ really _needed to be mentioned at that moment._ "Given what I've put you through of late, however, I was planning on asking _Shizune_ to perform the physical."

Almost immediately, the color rushed back into Sakura's cheeks in what Tsunade recognized from personal experience as quickly building outrage. Her quivering lips parted, but it was Shizune who spoke first, tone rapid and hushed. "Sakura… what do you think? I can certainly take care of Uchiha-san's evaluation, if you have no objections? And, if you do… well, surely we can work something out, Tsunade-sama?"

At the softness of her companion's tone, the pink-haired kunoichi seemed to recover some of her composure, the fire in her cheeks fading. Burning eyes never leaving Tsunade's, she clasped her hands before her heart, palms coming together in a full-body plea. " _Shishou_ ," she began slowly, as is searching for the words, "I... appreciate your concerns. And your offer, Shizune. But in this case… given that this is _Sasuke_ …. As long as you _trust_ me to perform the physical, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Tsunade nodded wearily, unsurprised by her apprentice's position. For half a second, she considered pressing the issue further, but the intensity of her gaze and Sakura's emphasis on that prickly trust issue led her to demur. "Very well," she agreed with a short nod. "When it comes to your integrity, I have no concern. It was simply a matter of where your head is at right now. But I'd be lying if I said I expected anything else. I'll alert Genma… he'll be standing guard while you examine the brat. The standard hospital protocol plus an evaluation of his _dojutsu_ will suffice."

"Hai, _Shishou_. I'll plan on turning in my report in the afternoon?"

"Indeed. Ibiki and Inoichi will want access to the summary ahead of their own session with the Uchiha, but T&I is slotted for tomorrow, so that should leave them plenty of time." Tsunade considered saying more - some sort of warning perhaps, or a few words of wisdom about keeping one's affections under lock and key - but she demurred. Much as she didn't wish to see her apprentice's heart suffer further, such matters were really none of her business. For better or for worse, that had been her policy from the moment she'd first taken Sakura on as her apprentice, and she wasn't about to switch gears now, tempting though it was.

And so, without further ado, Tsunade dismissed the pair of medics, nodding with vague bemusement at Shizune's parting observation that Kakashi held the next meeting slot. _That meant he'd show up around ten, if they were lucky._ As the door shut behind them, her right hand found her temple, seeking to massage away the tension that had suddenly come over her brow.

 _Oh Sakura. I do hope you know what you're getting yourself into._

* * *

Following her early morning rendezvous with Tsunade and Shizune, the temptation to immediately visit Kakashi for moral support had been strong, but Sakura had somewhat hesitantly demurred. While part of her decision was a practical consideration - given that Shizune had said that the Copy Ninja was Tsunade's next appointment, she certainly didn't want to make him any later than he'd already be - there was a deeper rationale behind the decision, as well.

While he hadn't _said_ anything about minding, Sakura couldn't escape a growing, guilt-inducing suspicion that she'd been turning to Kakashi too often over the past couple of months, using him as a crutch for dealing with the stresses and hardships that came her way. Upset about Itachi's disappearance post-Oto? She'd quickly latched onto Kakashi, meeting up with him repeatedly in the weeks that followed as a means of distraction from her cruel reality. Afraid that she'd compromised her standing in the village, not to mention her desirability? She'd more-or-less begged him to sleep with her ( _not that he'd seemed to really mind in any way, shape, or form_ ). Frustrated by the lack of news about Sasuke's and Itachi's whereabouts? She'd nagged him persistently, albeit quite unsuccessfully, for details on all three of the occasions he visited her while she'd been on bedrest. Emotionally ragged following Itachi's autopsy and surgery? Once again, she'd darted right off to his apartment to be figuratively patted on the head and told she'd done well.

Yes, he'd been her _sensei_ , and, yes, he was an experienced _jounin_ , but she couldn't keep running to him with her problems, tempting though it was and much as a part of her enjoyed the attention, the support, and the physical affection he was seemingly willing to give her, particularly after how impersonal their rapport had been back when she was actually his student. It wasn't healthy for her own development (coping was a shinobi skill in itself, after all), good for his reputation (even if he'd never cared a damn about his own, she did, and _sensei_ -student relationships were definitely controversial), or fair (mentor though he was, he shouldn't have to be responsible for her happiness). Most of all, knowing some of what he'd gone through in his own past - _where had his own Kakashi been following the deaths of his genin teammates and jounin sensei?_ \- and the future responsibilities that awaited him when Tsunade actually went through with her retirement, he had more than enough on his plate without her adding to the pile.

And so Sakura had instead spent the morning alone, reading up on the Sharingan (quite fortunately, she'd managed to retrieve the Uchiha clan tome Itachi had bequeathed her from the rubble of her ruined apartment building), collecting Sasuke's archived patient records from the hospital vaults (given the currently flattened state of the hospital, it was a _very_ good thing that they kept copies in an off-site bunker), making sure she had all of the necessary forms (some of those patient questions were _not_ going to be fun to ask), and getting her medic-nin bag in good working order (not a small task since the one she'd been using the past five years hadn't survived Pein's onslaught). For once, the busy-bodyness of the work was actually quite welcome, somewhat helping to keep her mind off of what was to come, although the near-constant somersaults her stomach insisted on performing never quite went away.

Ten minutes before eleven, Sakura set off from her tent for her designated meeting spot with Genma, body positively thrumming with nervous energy. The jounin was already there, twirling an ever-present senbon between his right index and middle fingers. "Ah, Sakura-san. Good to see you under less dire circumstances."

He gave her a casual salute and a slightly lopsided grin as she joined him with a small smile of her own that didn't quite reach her eyes. The late-morning sun was to her back, yet Sakura felt little of its warmth through her red tunic as she took in the entrance to the subterranean shelter that had apparently served as Sasuke's prison for the past five days. "Agreed. Should we get started?" she asked, hoping to Kami that her voice sounded far less small and shaky to her companion than it did on her own ears.

"Certainly. Follow my lead?"

Sakura nodded fervently, not actually trusting herself to speak further. She couldn't help it... she was _nervous_. Much as she'd tried to tell herself that what she was about to do was no big deal, that she'd examined hundreds of shinobi over the course of her career using the exact procedural form tucked in the bag slung over her shoulder, this felt different. _Because it was Sasuke. Because she still cared more than words could say, no matter how many times she told herself she didn't. Or, rather, shouldn't. Because she'd promised Itachi she'd watch over him. Because, through some cruel twist of fate and an inability to keep her emotions in check, she'd ended up on the team that would be evaluating him… helping to determine his fate… his future. A future that she believed she still wanted to be a part of, if he'd let her._

Falling into stride behind Genma, Sakura shook her head ruefully, frustrated with herself for falling into the same pattern of feverish, emotional thinking that always seemed to take over whenever Sasuke was involved. _She was being silly… allowing her mind to wander when she really ought to be focused firmly on her present task._ And so, breathing in deeply, the medic forced her attention onto the stillness around her - the gently sloping walls, the muffled sounds of their footsteps, the coolness of the air - before gradually turning her focus inwards, concentrating on the warming sensation of her chakra and the steady beating of her heart.

After what couldn't have been more than four or five minutes, Genma came to a stop, and Sakura followed suit, taking in his angular profile in the dimness of the tunnel as he turned to face her. "The cell is just a bit further down from here," he observed, jerking his head slightly left. "There's a chakra barrier in place tied to the Uchiha's signature. Standard procedure… he's unable to access any of his chakra or activate his _dojutsu_ as long as he's safely within the confines of the cell. Raido and Iwashi are on guard duty. Any questions?"

Sakura frowned to herself in the darkness, considering the situation. She had a couple of questions, actually, neither of which Genma seemed apt to like, but there was no real way around them. _Well, she'd begin with the least controversial first._ "As a patient, Sasuke is entitled to full confidentiality per the village's medic-nin protocol. Would there be any objection to my putting up a sound barrier? Some of the questions I'll need to ask are… rather personal."

Genma let out a tired sigh. "I suppose not. As long as _you're_ comfortable with that, that is. I'll admit that the Uchiha hasn't shown any signs of combativeness since his detainment, but he hasn't exactly been given much in the way of an opportunity, either. Anything else?"

Sakura's frown deepened. _If that was how Genma reacted to her first question, he wasn't going to like her second at all._ "Yes, actually. _Shishou_ informed me that I'm to examine Sasuke's Sharingan. I'll need him to be able to activate his eyes if I'm to do so properly. Would it be possible to lower the chakra barrier? I shouldn't need long… just a few minutes to confirm functionality and assess for any damage."

This time, Genma paused for a solid minute before responding to her question. When he did, his voice was shaded with more than a touch of amusement, not to mention a great deal of incredulity. " _Damn_. I knew you were a lot like Tsunade-sama, but I didn't realize you picked up her gambling habit, Sakura-san. Lowering the barrier…. It's _doable_ sure, but risky as all get out. You, uh, realize what those eyes of his can _do_ , neh?"

Sakura smiled to herself in the darkness, unable to entirely ignore the irony of the question. Thanks to Itachi, she was better acquainted with the Sharingan than almost anyone else in Konoha, but, of course, there was no way that Genma would know that. "I'll take my chances," she replied firmly. Then, aware that such bravado could very well be labeled insanity - _and perhaps she_ was _a little crazy to trust Sasuke after all these years, given how he'd apparently attempted to abduct_ Naruto _not even a week ago -_ she added, "With you, Raido, and Iwashi as emergency back-up, there shouldn't be much for me to be concerned about."

From what she could see, Genma's expression didn't suggest that he was particularly convinced, but, after some further thought, he shrugged. "Suit yourself. The seal sequence for the barrier is Monkey, Horse, Ram, Boar, Ram, Boar, Dragon, Snake. We'll certainly be on alert… although we're by no means miracle workers. Anything else?"

Sakura shook her head, and Genma set off further down the passage, pace quickening. After just a minute or two more, they reached Raido and Iwashi, seated on a couple of upended wooden crates, their shadows lengthened by the lamp resting on a third crate between then as they played what appeared to be poker. Glancing up, they nodded in somewhat bored acknowledgment, and Genma silently led her onward.

The cell was at the very end of the passageway, a final curve in the tunnel keeping it within hearing range yet out of sight of where the guardsmen kept their vigil. Before her stood a set of thick wooden bars that she recognized as Yamato's craftsmanship, stretching from the earthen floor to the stone ceiling. Squinting with the dim light of the lantern, she scanned the rather generous space, eyes drawn to the far corner. A small cot had been set up, on which perched a shadowy figure, silent and still. Suppressing the nervous prickle that shot up her spine, Sakura wet her lips, fervently reminding herself that she was there to perform an assignment on her _Shishou's_ behalf, that emotions had no place in her present circumstances, that, yes, the man before her had been her teammate once - the boy for whom she'd once been willing to give up everything - but was really little more than a stranger now.

"Haruno-san is here to perform your medical inspection, Uchiha," Genma commented coolly into the darkness. The shadow that was presumably Sasuke remained silent, although Sakura thought she could make out his head tilt slightly, as if seeking to verify the jounin's statement. Then, Genma leaned in towards her, holding out his lantern for her to take. "You sure about this?" he murmured, a decidedly concerned glint in his dark eyes. "I know he was your teammate, once. I'm sure Hokage-sama could assign a different medic…"

"Hai, I'm certain," she confirmed, far more confidently than she felt. Then, holding aloft the light in her left hand, Sakura approached the padlock, Genma close behind, her eyes never leaving the shadowy figure within. He unlocked the door, and she slipped inside, focused wholly on keeping the flurry of confusing emotions flooding her body - nervousness, dread, anticipation, and a funny fluttering she couldn't quite identify - off of her face. As the lock clicked shut, Sakura glanced around for someplace to put the lamp, but the cot was apparently the only bit of furnishing. So, setting it on the floor, she returned her attention back to Sasuke, finally getting her first full look at her patient.

She'd seen him last a number of months ago in Hidden Grass, coldly detached and darkly handsome as he'd rebuffed her team's every attempt to make him see reason, to abandon Orochimaru and return to Konoha. He had a similarly distant aura now, yet there seemed to be something more in his dark, penetrating eyes, a certain spark of life that hadn't been there before, as well as an emotiveness that she couldn't quite read. _And, of course, he was handsome as ever… but that was quite enough of ogling. She had a job to perform, after all._ Setting her bag down at her feet, Sakura brought her hands together, beginning to weave the familiar signs for a noise-cancelling barrier.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke's voice was low and raspy with disuse as he watched her curiously from his perch, a dark brow quirking towards his disheveled locks.

"Giving us some privacy. It's standard Konoha Hospital procedure."

"Hn."

Jutsu complete, Sakura busied herself with her bag, pulling out the patient forms, the clipboard, and the old patient file she'd prepped and reviewed earlier in the day. Then, looking back up at Sasuke, she fixed him with her best medic-nin smile, beginning to fall into her usual patient care rhythm despite the decidedly unusual circumstances. "So, this morning, I'll be checking your vitals and chakra network, going over what I'm afraid is going to seem like a very long list of patient questions, and then taking a quick look at your Sharingan, just to confirm that everything is in good working order. Everything we discuss will be protected information - confidential to all but those with the highest security clearance and a demonstrated need to know - and I'll return your file and my report to the hospital's archives as soon as Tsunade-sama and the T&I team who will be interviewing you tomorrow have reviewed it. Now, any questions or concerns before I get started?"

Sasuke shrugged, which Sakura decided to take as a no, closing the gap between them so that she was standing directly across from where he was seated. _Here goes nothing._ "If you wouldn't mind removing your shirt? I'll be doing a physical assessment first, and the added layer tends to get in the way."

He gave an unintelligible "tch" before pulling the garment up and over his torso, revealing a body she couldn't help but admire, despite the half-decade of medic-nin training and the amount of chiseled men and women she'd seen while performing annual chunin and jounin physicals. He and Itachi were undeniably brothers when it came to their coloring and facial features; however, Sasuke's body type was a bit broader and more muscular, likely due to his heavier reliance on taijutsu and kenjutsu. The view was admittedly lovely, and the way that the flickering light danced along his flesh, showing off his musculature to full affect, made it all the better. _Or worse, given how little business she had enjoying it._

Very fortunately, if Sasuke noticed her momentary staring, he didn't see fit to comment. Bare chested, he kept his gaze straight ahead and his expression neutral, seemingly resigned to his fate. And so, mentally reprimanding herself for her lapse of focus, Sakura channeled chakra to her hands, beginning the exam without further ado.

Itachi's autoimmune disorder foremost in her thoughts, she started off with Sasuke's lungs, carefully directing her chakra through his bronchial airways, painstakingly inspecting his alveoli, assessing the tissue for damage, and finally turning her attention to the complex network of veins, nerves, arteries, and lymphatic vessels. While she'd initially feared what she'd find - Itachi's condition had been treatable, but it was still exceedingly dangerous, not to mention a significant liability for a shinobi with potentially decades of active service ahead - there appeared to be no sign of any concerning symptoms. _That_ was a significant load off of her mind, but, to confirm that Sasuke was fully in the clear, a genetic test would be required.

Darting over to her bag, Sakura took out a swab and tore off the protective paper, proffering it with a workmanlike smile. "If you could rub the cotton side against the inner wall of your mouth? There's some testing I'll need to do back at the lab."

At that, Sasuke's brow furrowed suspiciously, and Sakura bit her lip, remembering the conversation she and Itachi had once had about the immense value of the Sharingan. _Of course. After five years with Orochimaru, Sasuke was probably incredibly suspicious of_ anyone _collecting samples. Which was completely understandable, and really not something she ought to take personally. Even if it stung a bit to know how little he trusted her..._

"Your brother - Itachi-san - had a hereditary illness," she explained, carefully trained eyes not missing the way his pupils widened almost imperceptibly at her use of Itachi's first name coupled with an honorific. _Maybe not the best way to go about referring to him, at least in front of Sasuke._ "It can be managed if caught early, but if not... well, my autopsy showed that it's what led to his death. I just want to make sure you're not at risk…"

His warm hand brushed against hers, sending a rather pleasing spark up her spine as he swiftly took hold of the swab. "Fine," he replied shortly, collecting the sample and returning it without quite meeting her gaze. "But you're to destroy it as soon as you're finished."

"Of course." With a relieved nod, she placed the stick in a sterile tube, labelled it with her usual bit of chicken scratch, and tucked it safely away in her bag before pulling out a stethoscope. Then, instructing Sasuke to take several slow, deep breaths, she moved on from his lungs to his circulatory system, listening to the strong, steady beating of his heart before sending some of her chakra to circulate through his bloodstream, checking for any clots or abnormalities. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she proceeded to his gastrointestinal tract and then his nervous system, her surprise at how _healthy_ he seemed growing as his body passed test after test with flying colors. He'd been locked away in Oto for five years, presumably deprived of the regular medic-nin check-ins, recovery treatments, and emergency care that shinobi usually received, yet, there were no physical scars to speak of and utterly no signs of any illnesses or conditions. _Surely, at some point, he'd broken a bone, twisted a wrist, overused a muscle, caught cold, or had one of his lightning or fire jutsus backfire?_ At his age, one wouldn't expect _a lot_ of damage, but the fact that there was absolutely nothing amiss was a bit surprising.

After another fifteen or twenty minutes of poking and prodding, Sakura reached for her clipboard to make a few final notes about Sasuke's basic vitals. Then, flipping to the next section of his file, she scanned the first page of the questionnaire that all shinobi who hadn't been fully examined by a Konoha medic in more than three years were expected to complete. It was a daunting document in length and scope; the first time she'd seen it, six months into her medic-nin training, she'd gained a new understanding of why her _sensei_ had always avoided check-ups like the plague. But it had to be done… Tsunade-sama's orders, after all.

Pursing her lips, she eyed Sasuke somewhat warily, hoping to Kami that his surprisingly cooperative attitude would continue. "Next, I'll need to ask you some questions… a lot of questions, really," she began a bit tentatively, painfully aware of how little he used to like others probing through his business. "Some of them may seem unnecessary or overly personal. They're designed to get a full understanding of your background, family history, risk factors, mental health, and so on… all of the information necessary to ensure you receive the best care possible. Oh, and you can put your shirt back on now." _Which was a pity, if the honest truth be told, but she'd probably be less distracted that way._

Sasuke pulled the garment back over his head, expression neutral ever as he returned her gaze head-on, which was probably as much of an acknowledgment as she was going to get. "The first section consists of some basic questions about your overall health. First... do you happen to remember the date of your last physical? The year is fine if you don't know the month or day. I realize it was probably a long time ago..."

"Four months ago. In Oto."

 _Or not so long ago, then._ "Good. How about the name of the medic who performed the exam?"

"Kabuto." A momentary look of intense dislike crossed Sasuke's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. _Well, that certainly explained the remarkable shape that Sasuke's body was in._ On further thought, perhaps his good health _wasn't_ so surprising. After all, given the Snake Sannin's long-term plans, he'd probably spared no effort at keeping his next vessel in peak physical condition _._

Suppressing a shiver - Orochimaru's body transfer jutsu had a relatively unique ability to make her skin crawl - Sakura jotted down Kabuto's name and quickly pivoted to the next question. "I'm going to list your current medic as myself, unless you mind?"

"Fine."

If it had been anyone but Sasuke (or maybe Kakashi), the utter and complete lack of enthusiasm would have been a bit eyeroll inducing, but she'd take what she could get. "Moving on, how about allergies..."

As they barreled their way through the twelve-page document, their dialogue fell into a steady pattern: Sakura more-or-less sticking to the medic-nin script and Sasuke responding in a manner that was as short and vague as she felt comfortable permitting (knowing that her _Shishou_ , Ibiki, and Yamanaka Inoichi would all be reading the report, she had no choice but to press for more occasionally). After finishing up the laundry list of basic personal health points, the section on diet and exercise, and the three pages devoted to past injuries and illnesses, they progressed to family history, a potentially ugly topic of conversation given the Uchiha clan's fate. To Sakura's great surprise, however, that portion of the discussion went relatively smoothly as well. Sure, there were a few tense moments - "Are your parents living?" "No." "Causes of death?" "Murder." - but it wasn't anything she didn't already know, and Sasuke had clearly learned a thing or two about keeping his emotions in check during his time in Oto.

After family history came the psychiatric evaluation, which they positively flew through thanks to the infamous Uchiha knack for brevity. When it came to his lackluster answers, Sakura didn't think that Sasuke was _lying_ , per say... more neglecting to provide any sort of detail and shrugging off what _had_ to be a complex emotional burden as no big deal. At times, she considered asking him to explain what he meant by his repeated "fines," "okays," and "not reallys," but his responses were really only to be expected. As a genin, he'd never exactly been one to open up about his feelings, and there was no way that five years with Orochimaru and Kabuto for company had changed that. _Besides,_ she thought rather darkly as Sasuke answered her final question by stating that his sleep hadn't been _significantly_ disturbed over the past three months, _Inoichi would be performing his own mental evaluation in barely twenty-four hours, and Shishou always said that the Yamanaka clan head missed nothing._

Jotting down his response - _how exactly Sasuke defined "significant" was the real question -_ Sakura stretched her beleaguered right wrist, steeling herself for the final section… the catch-all questions that medic-nins colloquially referred to as the "risky behaviors screening." Even with her typical shinobi patients, it was always her least favorite, comparatively brief though it was. And given how she'd once felt about her current charge - the emotions she _still_ held towards him, though she was doing her best to ignore them - she had a sneaking suspicion that things were about to become exceedingly unpleasant. _And awkward_.

Clearing her throat, Sakura read off the first question verbatim: "In the past year, have you used stimulants, drugs, and/or steroids?"

For the first time since the evaluation had begun, Sasuke paused before answering her question. "I'm… not sure," he replied slowly, eyes falling away from her face to his suddenly twitching left hand, a surefire sign of unease. "Kabuto's… _treatments_ involved different substances. He didn't exactly ask or explain before injecting me."

"I see." Sasuke's admission wasn't in any way, shape, or form surprising given Orochimaru's interest in her teammate's body and the fact that the Snake Sannin and his personal medic were quite obviously rogue nin who didn't have to abide by any standards of practice. That being said, the thought of _anyone_ being subjected to such treatment was deeply disturbing, and she suspected that she was only just brushing the surface of their experiments on human subjects.

Pushing their criminally unethical behavior to the side - _there was really nothing she could do about any of it, much as it made her medic-nin blood boil_ \- Sakura asked the required follow-up questions about frequency, mode of ingestion, and side effects. As with the rest of the exam, Sasuke's responses were frightfully vague, but this time, she suspected that he had a more legitimate excuse. What he was telling her - that he was injected with multiple substances at each appointment he had with Kabuto, that they caused a wide array of side effects ( _well, he probably_ could _have commented more on that, not that she really wanted to hear the probably bloody details of how he'd suffered)_ , and that he thought that some of the "treatments" might actually have been poisons designed to up his tolerance - was almost certainly all that he knew.

At last, with drugs crossed off the list, Sakura turned her attention to the final few questions… the part she'd been dreading most of all. "In the past five years, how many sexual partners have you had?" she read out, calling on every ounce of medic-nin poise she possessed to keep her intonation smooth and steady.

Sasuke's left hand fell still against his knee, gaze fixated fully on his fingertips. "One."

 _One. Just one._ Sakura had had utterly no idea of _what_ to expect, although her treacherous mind had certainly speculated on the matter over the past couple of years as her own sexuality had matured. Of course, a part of her had hoped that his answer would be zero, but that had probably been far too much to expect given his age and the little Itachi and Tsunade had said of Orochimaru's proclivities. _And one was certainly better than ten or twenty or too many to count, right? Even if it implied a certain loyalty… a certain_ commitment _to that one, single partner?_

 _But those were thoughts for another time… when she wasn't on medic-nin duty._ She had a questionnaire to finish up, after all. Gritting her teeth, she struggled her way through the required follow-up: "Did you and her - or him - use protection? A jutsu... a condom? Contraceptives?"

"Her," he corrected reflexively. Then, voice somewhat strained he looked up, dark, nebulous eyes finding her own. "There wasn't one."

 _Her._ The single word echoed through her mind, driving away all sane thoughts as her stomach rolled with a sudden wave of nausea. "Who is she?" The question was out of her mouth before she could stop herself, the emotionality that she'd worked so hard to try and reign in rearing its unwelcome head at what had to be the _worst_ possible moment.

At her obvious break from protocol, Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. "Is that part of the evaluation, _Sakura_?" he asked rather sharply.

 _Was that anger? Shame? Or… surely not…_ amusement _? Oh Kami, whatever it was, one thing was clear: She was going to_ die _of embarrassment._ Sakura worried her lip, painfully aware that Sasuke was staring at her, that her anguish was etched all over her face, highlighted first and foremost by the rosy hue of her flushed cheeks. _She'd been doing so well too. But of course, the minute he revealed something the slightest bit personal, she just_ had _to revert to her silly little genin self, that annoying, useless girl she'd thought she'd trained away for good._ _What had ever possessed her to think that this assignment was one she'd be capable of pulling off? That she'd be able to face him after five years… after everything with Itachi..._

A sudden "tch" caught her attention, yanking her mind out of the self-destructive course it was charting. Daring to meet Sasuke's eyes, Sakura found them unreadable as ever, yet she thought she could make out the slightest hint of softness around the corners of his mouth. _How strange. Surely, he wasn't_ smiling _?_

The flicker of emotion was gone as quickly as it had appeared, his jaw tightening once more. "It doesn't matter. She _was_ an Oto nin."

 _Was. Oh._ "I'm... _sorry_."

He shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. _Did that make it better or worse?_ Sakura shook her head in frustration. _It was totally irrelevant, actually… for it was_ high _time to move on with the assessment before she lost her head completely._

Returning her gaze to her clipboard, she jotted down his answer, making an extra note that her previous diagnostics had proven him free of infection, and deposited the now completed questionnaire in her bag. "Well, you'll probably be happy to hear that we're done with _that_ step," she informed Sasuke somewhat stiffly. _I know I certainly am._ "Which leaves us with one last point. If you don't object, I'd like to have a look at your Sharingan." Angling herself so that her hands were hidden from her companion's view, she formed the quick succession of seals Genma had instructed her to use to disable the barrier, noticing the way that Sasuke's shoulders relaxed as his locked-away chakra flooded his body. "Now, if you could activate your eyes, I'd like to check their functionality and chakra flow."

This time, there was no doubt about the shadow of expression that crept over his face. Sasuke was _smirking_. "Hn. Was that _wise_ , Sakura?" he murmured darkly, lips barely moving as he stared her down. "How do you know you can _trust_ me?"

A not altogether unpleasant shiver ran up her spine at the almost predatory look he was giving her. _What was_ that _about?_ "I _don't_ know," she admitted, voice as soft as his as she carefully chose her words. "But, well… we're Team Seven, right?" Then, aware that he could probably care less for such sentimentality, she added, rather aggressively, "Besides, given your current circumstances, why _would_ you try anything?"

He nodded shortly, a look of what she was tempted to call _satisfaction_ flitting across his face. Then, as his eyes swirled from black to red, her heartbeat quickened, the familiar sight of his three-pronged tomoe all at once thrilling and terrifying her. But he didn't stop there. To Sakura's great surprise, his pupils shifted once more, forming a new, kaleidoscopic pattern she had never before seen. "The _Mangekyo Sharingan_ ," she murmured, recognizing it immediately. "Since when…"

"Five days ago."

 _Five days. Of course._ While Sasuke had abhorred his brother for the better part of a decade, there could be no denying the passion behind his feelings. If he had come to learn the truth about the night that Itachi had killed their clan - and there was no doubt that, somehow, he had - then it stood to reason that the hatred he'd been nursing would have transformed into a powerful love, exactly the emotion required for the Mangekyo Sharingan to activate given his brother's fate. Itachi's plan for salvaging Sasuke's life may not have gone quite as he'd expected, but it appeared that he'd nevertheless achieved his wish: Returned his beloved little brother to Konoha whole, unharmed, and fully capable of defending himself as the last survivor of the Uchiha clan. _That was, assuming he got out of this current mess alive._


	40. The Interrogation

_[AN: Has it really been a month since my last post? I'm so sorry about the delay between chapters... the holidays are always nutty (in a mostly good way), and this year is no exception. Please know that I so appreciate all the positive feedback and the loyal readership - the comments, follows, and favorites do not go unnoticed by any stretch of the imagination! As usual, content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 40: The Interrogation**

Following his medical examination, Sasuke's mind was just as restless as it had been before Sakura's visit. This time around, however, his thoughts were focused on a different sort of preoccupation than lust for vengeance, remorse for what his blindness had wreaked, or grief for Itachi's death. Instead, as the hours ticked by and the changing of the guards signaled that dusk had fallen outside of his cell, he found himself replaying the course of the morning, the pink-haired medic who had performed his physical dominating his thoughts.

It had certainly been a surprise to see his former teammate standing on the other side of the bars, emerald eyes glowing in the light of Genma's lantern as they curiously sought his own. He'd known she was a medic nin and the Godaime's apprentice, of course, but it had never occurred to him that _she'd_ be the one selected to perform his exam. Logistically speaking, it seemed an incredibly risky move on the Hokage's part, if not downright negligent. Sakura had once claimed to love him, after all, and was liable to be a somewhat biased examiner as a result, even if her feelings had changed over the course of the past five years.

 _Did Tsunade trust her apprentice so absolutely? Or, perhaps, the Godaime was far more clever than he was giving her credit for_. After all, Sasuke couldn't deny that Sakura wasn't the only party who had been emotionally impacted by the one-on-one reunion.

At first, her presence outside his cell had been somewhat eerie. Which made perfect sense when one thought about it: The last time he'd seen her, she'd been a corpse on the battlefield, face down in the Konoha mud after Pein's blade had run her through. Of course, Tsunade had told him about the Rinne Rebirth, but hearing was quite different from actually seeing his living, breathing former teammate in the flesh. But those thoughts had soon been pushed to the periphery of his mind, for Sakura had quickly made it clear through both demeanor and actions that she was there on business, whatever feelings she may or may not have held towards him be damned.

The examination itself had been _annoying_. Well, the physical part had been fine... almost pleasant, actually. Since the night of the massacre, he had never exactly been a fan of physical contact, and he'd always detested the sensation of Kabuto's chakra in his veins during his weekly Oto examinations, cold, foreign, and incredibly invasive as it wormed its way under his skin. On the other hand, Sakura's touch had been warm, welcome, and surprisingly gentle, while the rhythmic pulsing of her energy through his body was like a caress from the inside out, making him feel _things_ \- emotions, needs, desires - that had definitely _not_ been appropriate for that moment in time. _It was probably just her lack of killing intent_ , he had told himself as she'd worked, willing away the undeniable sensation of arousal that her closeness was evoking. _Or her familiarity. Or perhaps it was the fact that his body had been almost completely deprived of chakra for five full days thanks to the goddamn barrier they'd placed around his cell. Ah, that_ had _to be it._

Hours later, he knew he'd been attempting to fool himself, that those same feelings that had spurred his inexplicable attunement to her emotions back when they'd been teammates, that he'd tried to train away during his five years in Oto, and that had inspired the shameful dreams that had driven him hungrily into another's arms were alive and well. And so, as he sat alone in the dark with only the memory of the patient look in those green eyes for company, he found himself wondering, not for the first time, about a subject upon which he had utterly no business speculating: the state of Sakura's heart.

He knew full well that the rejection he'd shown her back when they'd been genin had wounded her time and time again. _How could it not? He'd obviously had his reasons, but, from her perspective, he'd been nothing but a cold, unfeeling bastard_. At the age of thirteen, she'd shown an impressive tenacity despite his scorn, but five years was a long time to carry a flame. It would have only stood to reason - _and would have served him right_ \- if she'd fallen out of love with him in his absence, particularly when one coupled his past behavior with his rogue-nin status. That being said, as the examination had continued on from the physical to that detestable, never-ending questionnaire, he had come to the strangely _appealing_ realization that Sakura cared for him still. How deeply and in what way he couldn't entirely say, but the interaction had left him with the distinct impression that all was not lost, that there remained a place for him of one kind or another in her heart.

It had taken quite some time for him to reach his conclusion; his former teammate hid her affections far better that she had as a genin. There'd been a suggestion early on in the exam, when she'd talked him into giving her a saliva sample - _although the most interesting thing about that statement had_ really _been how civilly she'd spoken of Itachi_ \- but she'd kept her medic-nin veneer rather neatly in place up until the final section of the screening, when the matter of Kabuto's treatments and his affair with Anzu had risen to the surface.

Discussing what he'd permitted himself to be put through while in Oto for the sake of his misplaced thirst for vengeance hadn't been easy or pleasant. While he had willingly submitted at the time, the admission that he'd allowed himself to be used in such a fashion felt somewhat shameful now that the cloud of his hatred had lifted. Yet, the look of shocked sympathy on Sakura's face as he'd given her his sanitized account of his weekly sessions in Orochimaru's lab had been unmistakable and made the retelling almost worth it.

Furthermore, if there had been any doubt in his mind about what her reaction had meant, the interaction that had followed had confirmed his suspicions, her horror, disappointment, and jealousy at the news that he'd been intimate with another on full, unquestionable view. He didn't _like_ to see her hurt, of course - he never had, talented as he'd been at making her cry back in the day - but a perverse part of him had nonetheless smirked at the discovery that her feelings seemingly hadn't changed as much as her steady medic-nin demeanor let on.

Of course, he _hadn't_ told Sakura that Anzu had been murdered or that he'd been the woman's killer. He wasn't really sure how his former teammate would take that news - _would she think him a monster? Would she believe that Orochimaru had left him no other option? That he'd never even intended to become involved with the Oto kunoichi in the first place?_ \- and didn't intend for her to find out anytime soon. Sasuke also, quite obviously, had no intention of telling her that _she'd_ been the siren that had driven him mad with lust, that he'd fantasized about her plush lips, slender body, and emerald green eyes nightly for weeks after their encounter near Hidden Grass. That was _personal_ information... although, he was admittedly rather curious about what being with Sakura would _really_ be like, whether she'd done _it_ before, and if such normalcy could ever be possible for him - _for them_ \- after the mess he'd dragged her through and given his own, complicated history.

 _Tch. Pure foolishness._

Still, useless conjecturing though it was, he couldn't help but wonder whether Sakura had any idea of how important she was to him. Had she come to realize why he'd always hardened himself to her every affection, kindness, and care back when they'd been teammates? What he'd really meant when he'd declared her "annoying" more times that he cared to remember? Why he'd thanked her that night by the bench? How close he'd come to taking her with him... how only the knowledge that he hadn't a prayer of assuring her safety, that the dangerous distraction she represented would ultimately destroy them _both_ , was all that had kept him from stealing her away for himself?

During her examination of his Mangekyo, Sakura had displayed a surprisingly competent working knowledge of his _dojutsu_ that she'd presumably gleaned from past examinations of Kakashi's eye. She was clearly well acquainted with the ocular chakra networks that supported the Sharingan, as well as the assorted tests necessary to assess its strength and vitality. He'd admitted that his Mangekyo was a recent acquisition, brought on by the horrors of Pein's attack on Konoha. _Did she have any idea that_ she _was the one who had awakened it? And, if so, did she know what that meant?_

A part of him wished her to. Although, maybe, it would be simpler if she _didn't._

* * *

Sasuke was woken early the following morning by the muffled sound of voices coming down the tunnel leading to his cell. Rising up to a seated position in a flash, his eyes darted immediately to the barred entrance, seeking the identity of his visitors. From what the Hokage had said, his interrogation was scheduled for today, and it appeared that T&I had decided to waste no time in beginning the session.

As the pair of shinobi who would be speaking with him came into view, he could feel adrenaline coursing through his veins, sending his heart racing in his chest. He intended to answer their questions honestly and directly - it was likely what Itachi would have advised and clearly in his best interests now that Shimura Danzo was seemingly out of the picture - but he was nevertheless wary. For the men staring back at him were none other than Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Inoichi, and their reputations certainly preceded them.

The torture specialist he was fairly confident he could handle. After all, in their quest for the "perfect vessel," Orochimaru and Kabuto had put him through more varied and creative physical, mental, and emotional torments than Ibiki could probably imagine. Instead, it was the Yamanaka clan head's presence that gave him serious pause. After experiencing the world of Itachi's _Tsukuyomi_ and Orochimaru's foiled possession attempt, the mere thought of someone else poking around his mind made Sasuke's skin crawl. He had had _more_ than enough of mental prying for one lifetime... but, of course, prisoners didn't get to make those sorts of choices.

The Yamanaka nodded his head politely as the duo entered the cell, clearly taking the lead role. "Good morning, Uchiha-san." His tone was formal and pleasant enough, yet there was a steady note of authority behind it, befitting his status in the village.

Sasuke returned the greeting with a silent nod of his own, keeping his expression smooth and even, his dark eyes never leaving his companions'. While his exposure to non- _sensei_ jounin prior to his departure from Konoha had been limited, he understood Yamanaka Inoichi to be a fair and patient man who had even worked on the occasional case with his father. Ibiki, on the other hand, he remembered from the Chunin Exams for his intimidating aura, and it appeared that time had not softened his reputation. Clearing his throat, the torture specialist's calculating eyes ran over Sasuke's form critically as he glared with overt dislike. "Shall we get started, Inoichi?" he asked rather menacingly, cracking his knotted knuckles. "I'm unconvinced that _scum_ like this deserves such niceties."

Inoichi shrugged off the comment, retaining his balanced tone. "Uchiha-san, Ibiki-san and I are here today in the hope that you'll be willing to tell us about some of your activities over the course of the past five years."

The torture specialist let out a snort at that, intent clear. If Sasuke wasn't _willing_ to talk, Ibiki was there to _make_ him.

Ignoring the nonverbal threat from his partner, Iniochi continued on. "While we are by no means _uninterested_ in your time with Orochimaru and his followers' current whereabouts, our chief concern at this point in time is the Akatsuki. We already have some knowledge of their organization thanks to the efforts of Jiraiya-sama and past encounters of our shinobi, but intelligence has not been easy to come by, and there are undeniable gaps in what we know. Any information you have on their agents - names, skillsets, villages of origin, current locations - would be very helpful, as would insights into their larger goals and purposes, if you gleaned any."

He paused, glancing over at Ibiki, who smirked aggressively, facial scars twisting in the lamplight. "A word to the wise, Uchiha. I'd tread _very_ carefully if I were you. Inoichi is a master at truth detection, and I don't take kindly to _liars_ , sons of former Police Chiefs or not. You've got a _pretty_ face… it would be a true shame to see it anything _happen_ to it."

Sasuke shrugged, refusing to allow the obvious intimidation tactics to get to him. _Besides, what they were proposing aligned well enough with his intentions._ "When it comes to Orochimaru and the Akatsuki, I have nothing to hide. It began in Oto… the night my brother came for me."

Inoichi nodded knowingly. "Ah, yes. We are already well aware of Itachi's movements in Oto, as well as his showdown with the Snake Sannin. Why don't you begin with what came next. Our operatives lost your trail outside of Orochimaru's lair."

 _Itachi had been followed into Oto?_ The news was somewhat startling: His brother had been a prodigy when it came to genjutsu, after all, with a skill set that ought to fool even the most specialized Konoha tracker team. Then again, he _had_ been unwell, and his illness had clearly impacted his chakra reserves. Perhaps, his weakened state had led him to conceal his footsteps less carefully than he might otherwise have done?

Aware that the silence was beginning to stretch and that there was absolutely no way he'd be getting a definitive answer from the men there to interrogate him, Sasuke turned his attention back to Inoichi's request. "We traveled first to Wave Country - to one of Orochimaru's old hideouts - to rest and recover. There's no one of _importance_ there."

He added the last sentence as an afterthought, figuring that he might as well do Karin the favor of _not_ sending Konoha after her. She might be clingy and cloying as all get out, but she _had_ healed Itachi and was, more or less, harmless. "After that, we headed towards Hidden Stone. There, we met up with a pair of Akatsuki shinobi: Itachi's former partner, Hoshigaki Kisame, one of the Seven Swordsmen of Hidden Mist, and an explosives specialist from Iwa named Deidara."

Inoichi nodded, bright blue eyes narrowing in thought. "Yes, both operatives are already known to us. We understand that your four-man squad captured the Five Tails down in Iwa. Can you tell us more about that?"

"Ah," Sasuke agreed, frowning slightly at the insinuation that he and, more troublingly, _Itachi_ deserved culpability for the kidnapping. "It was Deidara's and Kisame's mission to capture the Five Tails. Itachi and I were there for back-up… and it had been _my_ insistence that we join with them in the first place. Afterwards, there was a ritual to extract and seal the beast. I don't know what jutsu was used, but Itachi called the receptacle into which its spirit was imprisoned the Gedo Statue." Mind shifting gears, Sasuke licked his lips, recalling the conversation he'd later had with Tobi/Madara in Amegakure. "The Akatsuki's interest in _jinchuuriki_ is part of their larger plan. They seek to destroy the current world order - the network and authority of the Hidden Villages - to achieve what _they_ claim would be a total, eternal peace."

"Is that so?" Morino Ibiki cut in, the gruffness of his tone unable to entirely disguise his interest in what Sasuke was saying. "And how did you _stumble_ upon that bit of information, Uchiha? Doesn't sound like the sort of intel a new recruit would be privy to, if you ask _me_."

 _Hn. So, Ibiki thought him a liar._ _Well, if they doubted him now, there was no way his interrogators would believe what was to come._ "After the extraction, Itachi and I headed to Amegakure," Sasuke replied icily. "While there, we spoke with a man whom my brother identified as the _true_ leader of the Akatsuki… a masked shinobi who goes by Tobi. I see now that he sought to use me… to _manipulate_ me into falling in line with his intentions by aligning my own hatred of the crimes Konoha committed against my clan with his larger purpose."

He'd expected them to ask him to go into more detail about the Uchiha massacre and his still-convoluted feelings towards the village - _after all, how did they know he wouldn't stab them in the back the minute he was a free man… if they_ ever _let him free?_ \- but it appeared that something else he'd said had more strongly caught his interviewers' interest. " _Tobi._ We're aware of that name, but only in passing," Inoichi observed, eyes glittering with a new focus. "We'd previously understood that Pein was the Akatsuki's de facto leader. Is there anything _more_ you can say about this individual? What else did he tell you?" His tone was sharper now, slightly clipped with impatience.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly as he strove to remember the details of everything Tobi had said. "Our meeting was brief. He spoke to Itachi first… threatening him about defecting. He mentioned a spy of his… Zetsu. When he spoke with me, he said he wanted me to help him. After he told me of the Akatsuki's true motives, we made a deal. I was to capture the Nine Tails in exchange for Konoha's destruction."

At his admission, Ibiki made some sort of aggressive noise in the back of his throat. On the other hand, Inoichi was seemingly unmoved, his focus wholly absorbed by their unfolding conversation. "I see. And… did you get a look at him?"

"He was masked; I never saw his face. But he claimed to be a member of my clan. A man called Uchiha _Madara_."

At the name "Madara," Inoichi and Ibiki both flinched, unable to disguise the twin looks of surprise that stretched across their faces. Ibiki seemed to catch himself first, scarred face sifting into a jeering grin. "That's very _creative_ , Uchiha- _san_ ," he spat maliciously, "But I'm afraid you're going to have to try a little harder than _that_ to pull the wool over our eyes. Uchiha Madara is _dead_. He's been dead for decades. Now, perhaps you think you're _funny_. Or maybe you came across some sort of impersonator or imposter who was attempting to use his identity, and you didn't _realize_..."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Anything is _possible_ ," he replied darkly. "You told me to tell you all I know, and _this_ is what I know. He may or may not be who he claimed to be, but the man Itachi and I met with in Ame possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan. Believe me, I know _well_ what that looks like." _Indeed, he'd be_ more _than willing to give Morino Ibiki a little reminder of that himself if they'd be so kind as to drop the goddamn chakra barrier._

His interrogators exchanged a quick look. Then, Inoichi addressed him once more, ice blue eyes positively boring into his own. "I believe you are familiar with the Yamanaka clan, neh, Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke's stomach flipped unpleasantly at the question, fully aware of what was coming. Willing himself not to let his distaste show, he nodded slowly.

"Good. You were top of your class at the Academy, if I'm remembering correctly. Given your history, I'm sure you see why we might have certain... _doubts_ about what you're telling us. If you would permit me to have a look at your memory of that conversation, it would be a useful means of corroboration, not to mention potentially beneficial for your own case."

Sasuke shrugged in an effort to mask his discomfort with the request. "Fine."

It _wasn't_ what he wanted - exactly what he'd been hoping to avoid since the moment he'd realized that a Yamanaka was one of his interrogators, as it happened - but he could certainly see the man's point. If their positions had been switched, he _never_ would have taken Inoichi or Ibiki at their word alone, particularly given the investigative techniques at their disposal. Moreover, he had a sneaking suspicion that Inoichi's request was really just a formality. If he declined to allow the mind-reading nin to sift through his memories, he was almost certain that it would happen anyway. And so, gritting his teeth, he allowed the jounin to place his strong hand on the top of his head.

At the sickening sensation of another's consciousness entering and taking control of his own, Sasuke's eyes snapped shut, hands gripping hard into the thin fabric of his mattress and body tensing despite his efforts to stay loose and detached. The temptation to mentally repel the invader was strong, but he willed himself to back down, exquisitely aware that such a move would only be used against him.

As Inoichi locked on to the desired memory, images from the scene in Ame suddenly ran through his mind in a rapid-fire sequence. Fhe rain pelting the windows outside the tower, the masked shinobi suddenly appearing before them, the strain on Itachi's brow ( _how had he missed how unwell his nii-san had been? His coloring had been positively ghostly)_ , and, finally, that telltale flash of blood red through the sole eyehole in Tobi's orange mask.

Very fortunately, unlike Itachi's _Tsukuyomi_ or Orochimaru's attempted body possession, the Yamanaka clan head's jutsu was over in a matter of seconds. Brilliant blue eyes springing wide open, Inoichi turned immediately to Ibiki, his square jaw clenched with certainty. "Uchiha-san speaks the truth," he murmured, a certain urgency underlying his voice now. "The memory was there, exactly as he described it, and there was no sign of any tampering or manipulation. Remarkable though it seems, it appears that Uchiha Itachi was _not_ the only Sharingan wielder within the Akatsuki."

Ibiki grunted something unintelligible back, the new wariness that had come over his features leaving Sasuke with the distinct impression that Uchiha Madara had been one hell of a shinobi, whomever he was. _Which made sense, given that he was seemingly on intimate terms with the Kyuubi._ "We'll put it in the report for Hokage-sama," he commented lowly to his partner. "With the Rinnegan no longer in their clutches, this new intel might just be the breakthrough she was looking for. _Particularly_ on the off-chance that our masked friend is who he claims to be." Then, glowering over at Sasuke, he increased his volume and nastiness. "By the way, don't think we've forgotten about you, Uchiha. We're by no mean _finished_."

Sasuke resisted the urge to let out a "tch" of disdain. So far, the session seemed to be going well - the information he possessed was apparently of value, at least - but he was far too aware that one false move could drastically shift the tide. "How _else_ may I be of assistance, then?" he asked coolly, toeing that fine line between indifference and arrogance.

With a quick glance of his partner, Inoichi spoke once more, seemingly retaking the lead interrogator role. "The information you've provided us this morning has the potential to be exceedingly useful, so I will speak frankly. In addition to questioning you about your past involvements with the Akatsuki, the High Council has also tasked us with gaining a better understanding of your current motives and allegiances. While you've cooperated with our every request thus far, in order for the Council to even consider any sort of favorable terms, we will need to establish that you are no longer an active threat to Konoha's security. You yourself stated previously that you previously sought this village's destruction. So, tell us, Uchiha-san, what has changed?"

The question was entirely expected. In fact, the most surprising thing about it was how long it had taken for the conversation to turn in such a direction. That didn't make the matter any easier to discuss, however. For the "why" behind Sasuke's decision to abandon his agreement with Tobi, to assist his brother and Kakashi against the _Kyuubi_ , to surrender himself to Konoha's guards, and to share all he knew of the Akatsuki with T&I was _highly_ personal. _Could he tell them what he'd promised Itachi? How deeply Sakura's self-sacrificial act against Pein had shaken him?_ Contrary to his outward affect of cool indifference, Sasuke had always _felt_ intensely; it was the same trait that had made him hunger so rabidly for revenge all those years… that still inspired his fervent desire to find and kill Danzo now. But to put those thoughts, those feelings into _words_ …

Ibiki's scarred face twisted into a bloodthirsty grin, dark eyes glittering in the lamplight. _Kakashi_ had _once called the man a sadist._ "Ha. _Now_ he clams up. Well, I certainly have my _methods_ of loosening his tongue…"

The man's gaze shot towards Inoichi, but the Yamanaka held up his right hand in a silent command to desist. "Uchiha-san?"

 _He had to say something. He had come so far… he couldn't let this chance slip through his fingertips now._ Difficult though it was, he _owed_ it to Itachi's sacrifice… to the legacy of his clan… to Team 7… to his future, nebulous though it seemed. "I realized _the truth_ ," he began, aware that what he was about to say might very well make no sense whatsoever to the duo standing before him but finding himself with no other way to articulate the sentiments coursing through his body. "I see now that Konoha's destruction _wasn't_ the answer…. That it would just bring me more misery… destroy _more_ of what I love." _Sakura. Itachi's dreams. Naruto. Everything the Uchiha had once stood for._ "I feel no true _personal_ allegiance to Konoha. I don't know if I ever will. But those for whom I _do_ care... whom I cared for... would and _did_ willingly give everything for this village. And so, I do my part. Then, now, in the future, if I am permitted. For _them_."

He fell silent, dark eyes intently watching his interrogators for some sort of sign or reaction, awaiting their judgment. As the moments ticked by without a response, he felt his heart pounding in his chest, the uncertainty of what was to come roiling his insides with a rush of nervous energy. _Had they understood? Had his intimate plea fall on deaf ears?_

Finally, just as he was beginning to wonder if the men before him would _ever_ speak, the Yamanaka clan head wet his lips, the firm line they had formed at his confession loosening. "I… _see_ ," he murmured, gazing down on Sasuke with an almost paternal expression upon his face. "Uchiha-san, thank you for today's candidness. Tsunade-sama will be hearing of it."

With the slightest of nods, Ibiki turned on his heel, making his way towards the cell door. For a moment, Inoichi made to follow him, but he paused halfway, as if struck by a sudden thought. Tilting his gaze back towards the cot, ice-blue eyes penetrating as ever, his lips suddenly tilted upwards in what was seemingly the shadow of a smile. "Sasuke… _regardless_ of your past… know that you and your brother have my personal gratitude for the part that you played in aiding Konoha at her time of greatest need. Your actions... and Itachi's sacrifice will _not_ be forgotten."

Inoichi's statement was one that he would have scoffed at mere days ago as pure emotional drivel. But now, as the duo took their leave, a strange sensation filled Sasuke's chest: a _hope_ for the future. He'd never been one for sentimentality, but, at that moment, he couldn't help but think that Itachi, in his calm, quiet way, would have been proud.


	41. The New Assignment

_[AN: Oof, another month gap between chapters. Sorry, all! This was a bit of a complex chapter to get right (as transitional chapters tend to be for me), so I ended up taking some extra time with it. Couple that with the holidays, and you have my excuse! Hope everyone had a good December and a good first day of 2019. Thank you as always for the follows, favorites, and comments... they are most appreciated! As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 41: The New Assignment**

Kakashi shifted his shoulders uncomfortably in what he already realized was a futile effort to ease the tension weighing them down. It was the morning after Sasuke's T&I session with Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Inoichi, which meant that it was officially judgment day. The Copy Ninja stood to the left of Tsunade's desk, Nara Shikaku, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado on her other side, his status as the soon-to-be Rokudaime Hokage giving him clearance for what otherwise would have been a completely closed-door verdict, awaiting the arrival of the prisoner.

As expected, talks had gone late into the night: It had been after two when Tsunade had ushered him out ahead of the final vote (for there were some things that not even her intended successor was permitted access to). They'd begun their evening by reviewing the evidence. Tsunade readily admitted that Sasuke was pretty damn surly during their chat, and Sakura's painstakingly documented report suggested that the Uchiha had been less than effusive about his mental health ( _no surprises there_ ). That being said, there were no red flags indicating that he was a clear and imminent threat to Konoha's safety, everything he'd said had checked out with what Inoichi's team had been able to verify (and what Kakashi himself knew from Itachi), and all parties agreed that the Uchiha been surprisingly candid and cooperative when it came to providing intelligence on the Akatsuki.

Theoretically, when those facts were coupled with Itachi's heroics against Pein and the Nine Tails scarcely a week ago, not to mention his own assistance in the latter battle, Sasuke _should_ have had a very decent shot of being cleared for eventual reintegration into the village, after a very probably lengthy prison sentence. But, of course, given that this was the last living Uchiha - _well, unless Tobi was an Uchiha; the jury was still very much out on that_ \- things were not so simple.

Unsurprisingly, the deciding parties had split firmly into two camps: Tsunade and Nara Shikaku united against Homura and Koharu. While the two oldest members of the Council had been willing to concede both their surprise at the prisoner's willingness to recount his time as a rogue nin and the utility of having a Sharingan wielder back in the Konoha gene pool ( _for they were nothing if not practical)_ , they had _still_ angled for his execution. Rather ironically given their long-term animus towards the Tsuchikage, they'd cited old man Onoki's fiery letter decrying the Uchiha brothers' involvement in the capture of the Five Tails as a central feature of their case.

Received two days prior, the missive had warned Tsunade in no small terms that Hidden Stone was expecting a full and summary punishment of the captive for the role he'd played in depriving Iwa of their last _jinchuuriki_ , threatening an end to the detente they'd shared since the close of the Third Shinobi War. In Kakashi's opinion, the whole thing was utter absurdity. Given that Sasuke was a _Konoha_ shinobi, the Tsuchikage had little business sticking his bulbous nose in the matter (not to mention that the old fart was rumored to have done precious little to keep Iwa's supposedly invaluable _jinchuuriki_ safe). But Homura and Koharu were _remarkably_ stubborn and seemingly willing to use any excuse to advance their position. _Very possibly because they feared for their lives..._

As a result, while he'd heard enough debate over Uchiha Sasuke's fate to last him the rest of his life, Kakashi had utterly no idea how the High Council had actually ended up swinging. _Had Homura and Koharu somehow been convinced that Sasuke wouldn't murder them in their sleep if they let him off? Had the increasingly terse Nara clan head folded, bowing to the supposed wisdom of his elders (or his probable frustration with the whole affair)? Or, had Tsunade herself relented, deciding that the life of an admittedly troublesome young nin wasn't worth the maelstrom of headaches he would inevitably cause, Sharingan or not?_ _None_ of the options seemed the slightest bit likely, but Tsunade had assured him that a unanimous decision had been reached (with what had been one hell of a poker face, given her reputation). He was damn curious and uncharacteristically nervous, which perhaps wasn't all that surprising given the responsibility he felt towards Sasuke as his jounin _sensei_ , his desire not to see Itachi's sacrifice end in vain, and his concerns about how Naruto and Sakura would take their onetime teammate's very possible execution.

He also didn't have much longer to wait. A sharp rapping on the door to Tsunade's office was met by a barked "Enter!" from the Godaime herself and followed up by the expected entrance of Genma, Raido, and Iwashi, escorting a blindfolded, wrist-bound Uchiha Sasuke. The expressions of the three guards were grim as they bowed their heads respectfully to the office's occupants, while the visible portion of Sasuke's face was seemingly calm and unconcerned. _But, of course, Sasuke's eyes had always been his greatest emotional tell._

Wasting no time, Tsunade launched into business with her usual tenacity. "Welcome to my office, Uchiha. As I told you the last time we met, the High Council has conducted a full review and discussion of your case. As of three AM this morning, we have _finally_ reached a quorum."

To Kakashi's right, Shikaku mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like " _about damn time."_ As for Sasuke, well, being _Sasuke_ , there was nothing more than a half-nod and a vague twitch of his lower lip in response to the Hokage's news. Which was _actually_ a good thing in Kakashi's mind given how viscerally he'd reacted to the very mention of the village Elders just a week ago. No fools, Homura and Koharu seemed to recognize this as well. Their shoulders suddenly dropped in tandem, their relief at the absence of any sort of killing intent crystal clear.

"To put things briefly, we've reviewed in detail your history, your Academy and genin files, and the timeline of your actions the day of Pein's attack on Konoha," Tsunade continued, ticking the evidence off on her fingers. "We've discussed the results of your medical and psych examination, T&I's interrogation report, and our own one-on-one conversation several days ago. Furthermore, we've considered the sociopolitical implications of your fate, both for affairs in Konoha and amongst the Five Nations more broadly. Because, as I'm _sure_ you can imagine, the Tsuchikage is... _less than happy_ about your involvement in capturing the _Gobi_."

Sasuke's lower lip twitched once more, jaw clenching as if he were about to dispute that point, but he seemed to think better of it. "A wise decision," Tsunade acknowledged with an approving nod of her blonde head. "While I certainly see Onoki's _point_ , he has no jurisdiction over your fate. As long as you keep your nose clear of Iwa for the foreseeable future, you have little need to concern yourself with such matters."

The faintest blush of optimism touched Kakashi's spirit at that seemingly offhanded bit of advice. For cautioning Sasuke against setting foot in Hidden Stone suggested that he might one day have the opportunity to do so, which in turn suggested that he wasn't about to be summarily executed or imprisoned for life. The Copy Ninja eyed Tsunade's profile with renewed intensity, seeking some sort of hint of what was to come, but her expression remained inscrutable. "Anyway, I digress. I imagine that you're more the ready to hear the verdict, despite that can't-be-bothered look on your face."

This time, Sasuke _did_ react, letting out a small "hn" of muted acknowledgment. Suppressing what Kakashi was enthused to see was a smile, Tsunade pursed her lips. "As you are probably aware from your Academy days, Konoha has not traditionally taken defections lightly. Given the _unique_ circumstances surrounding your case and your degree of cooperation, however - not to mention the plight in which we currently find ourselves - after _much_ discussion, the High Council has decided to issue you a _full_ pardon. Assuming you are able to meet a few specific stipulations, that is."

 _A full pardon._ At Tsunade's words, a positively overwhelming relief seized Kakashi, the tension that had weighed so heavily upon him over the course of the Council's negotiations evaporating in a sudden, welcome rush. He was aware, deep down, that there was little that he could have done to keep Sasuke in Konoha five years ago - the boy had been too bitter, too angry, too blinded by hatred to ever listen to reason, let alone _him_ \- yet he'd been unable to ignore a certain sense of culpability, a _regret_ for what had transpired. _Had he only been more open… more emotionally honest with all three of them. It wouldn't have helped… but it was hard not to wonder what could have been._ This new twist in his former student's journey didn't erase the past five years by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a start… a new beginning, if one wanted to get sentimental about it. That was, assuming that Sasuke was willing and able to agree to whatever the High Council had in mind.

On a signal from Shikaku, Genma reached up and removed the blindfold obscuring Sasuke's gaze, revealing midnight eyes that shone with undisguised disbelief. "State your terms," he rasped, voice hoarse with disuse as he stared down the Godaime, so laser focused that Kakashi found himself wondering if the Uchiha even realized that there _was_ anyone else in the room besides himself and Tsunade.

A "please" probably would have been appropriate, particularly given that the woman seated before him was officially his Hokage now, but Tsunade didn't seem to care about the lack of manners. _She_ was _accustomed to Naruto, after all._ Instead, hands folding before her on the desk, she met the Uchiha's gaze without the faintest sign of hesitancy, a satisfied smile creeping across her lips. "Term one. You're to be reinstated as a _chunin_ ," she stated shortly.

Sasuke's eyes grew even wider in shock, while Kakashi felt his own eyebrows shoot up towards his hairline. _A pardon was one thing but a_ promotion _for defecting? That had to be some sort of record._

The blonde chuckled, seemingly amused by the Uchiha's reaction. "As I previously alluded to, we find ourselves in unprecedented times. Logistically speaking, we can write it off as a field promotion for your actions against the _Kyuubi_. Unless you _object_... although I sincerely hope you won't. Given what we have planned for you, there's really no point in having you sit for the Chunin Exams. Not to mention that we'd need to rustle you up a team… Sakura made Chunin _years_ ago, and I intend to promote Naruto in due course as well. And, of course, the Tsuchikage would have a fit if you entered and happened to get paired up against one of his genin in the knockout stage..."

Kakashi detected Nara Shikaku's cold, hard logic all over the decision. Sure enough, the clan head was quietly smirking as the scene he'd crafted played out before his eyes. _But what of Homura and Koharu? Surely, they hadn't acquiesced to such a seemingly favorable agreement without any sort of concession?_

Tsunade's next statement addressed his unspoken query, her expression turning solemn once more. "Term number two. Until the Council is satisfied with your integrity, you'll be subjected to 24/7 ANBU surveillance while in Konoha. On missions, you'll be barred from captaincy and under the direct authority of your designated _taichou_ at all times. We'll be receiving regular reports on your activities, and any actions or threats to the security of the village or _any_ Konoha denizen, civilian or shinobi, will lead to an immediate revocation of your pardon. Understood?"

 _An even more restrictive version of the policy that the Uchiha had been subjected to in the years leading up to the Massacre. That was_ definitely _the High Council's geriatric contingent at work._ Kakashi watched Sasuke's body language carefully, seeking a clue to his innermost thoughts. His expression was even as ever, although it was impossible for the Copy Ninja to miss the way his dark eyes flickered over the elderly councilmembers standing to Tsunade's right. "Very well," he murmured almost under his breath after several long minutes, tone dangerously soft and smooth in intensity. "As long as your list doesn't include _rogue_ Konoha shinobi."

"It does _not_ ," the blonde replied with a thin-lipped smile, honey eyes shining rather predatorially at Sasuke's less-than-veiled reference to Danzo. "Although you _are_ expected to stick to your prescribed missions. No lone wolfing. Which brings me to the third and final term of our agreement. Based in part on the intel you've provided us, we're in the process of creating a new special forces unit, tasked with tracking down and bringing to justice the remaining members of the Akatsuki. Given your... _familiarity_ with the organization, it seems only appropriate to have you involved, wouldn't you say?"

If the first term was Shikaku's and the second Homura's and Koharu's, then the third _had_ to be the work of Tsunade herself. Kakashi had to hand it to the woman: At first glance, it was a clever idea, albeit a significant gamble (which was really no surprise, coming from her). Not only would it keep the Uchiha occupied for the foreseeable future and allow him to put to use all he'd learned in his own time as a defector, but appointing him to such a high-profile team would also do much to rehabilitate his public image, both in Konoha and more broadly. And, of course, pitting Mangekyo Sharingan against Mangekyo Sharingan was certainly one way to even the playing field.

Sasuke's knee-jerk reaction was admittedly tough to get a read on, but he _seemed_ to be intrigued by the idea. His dark eyes gleamed in thought, and he shifted his stance slightly, as if eager to get started. "Hn. And my teammates?" he asked, gaze running momentarily from Tsunade to Kakashi himself.

The Hokage shook her head, clearly catching his meaning. "It _will_ be a four-man squad, but not the one you're expecting. Appealing though a full-scale Team 7 reunion would be on a certain, nostalgic level, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura have other responsibilities that require their attention. Instead, your commanding _taichou_ will be another former ANBU comrade of your brother's. Both he and your second teammate are already well acquainted with your history. The fourth remains to be determined. Ideally, he or she will be a close-hand combat specialist _and_ either a tracker or a medic nin, but that can be a difficult combo to come by. Perhaps an Inuzuka, although I'm not so sure about the _personalities_..."

She trailed off, casting a sideways glance at Shikaku, who frowned minimally in response. "We'll have to get back to you on that. I'm anticipating at least a three- or four-week lull before your team is deployed, which should leave us with ample time for such details. And for team practice and bonding, both of which I'm _sure_ you're looking forward to."

At that, Sasuke let out a less-than-enthusiastic "tch" that had Kakashi quasi-grinning behind his mask. There was no doubt in his mind that the last Uchiha's reintegration into Konoha would be a long and lengthy process full of uncomfortable moments and unpleasant surprises for _all_ involved. That his former student, while currently projecting a mask of cool, collected disinterest, possessed a soul riddled with scars, old and new. That the bitterness, the _anger_ that Kakashi had witnessed in the immediate aftermath of Itachi's death had by no means evaporated overnight. That this new assignment would represent a significant challenge to his abilities, his mettle, his emotions, and his patience. And that reestablishing his place in the village, not to mention the lives of his former teammates, might very well result in some unexpected, very unwelcome discoveries. It was entirely possible that Tsunade's gamble would fail, that the Uchiha would ultimately prove himself incapable of letting go of the past, despite the significant step forward he was seemingly taking today. Yet, as Genma untied Sasuke's wrists and the now-former captive silently took the Leaf _hitai-ate_ that Tsunade proffered him, cementing his acceptance with a stern gaze and a solemn nod, the Copy Ninja couldn't help but feel a certain optimism for the man's future.

* * *

Following his hearing, Sasuke was ushered out of the Godaime's office by a seemingly nonchalant Kakashi (he was pretty sure it was all posturing), mind totally numb from the shock of what had just transpired. _He'd been pardoned. He was a Konoha shinobi again… just as Itachi had wished for him. And a free man. Sort of._

In a way, his new position as a Leaf chunin placed far heavier bonds upon him that anything he'd experienced during his time in Oto, or even over the course of his past week as a literal prisoner. He might have free run of the village now, but his every move would be carefully watched and scrutinized for the foreseeable future, not to mention judged by an entire population who very probably (and somewhat understandably) blamed him for many of their current ills. And that constant surveillance would just be the beginning. For aligning himself with a Hidden Village placed all sorts of _other_ ties upon him: a full set of Fire Country and village laws he'd be expected to follow (not to mention the Shinobi Rules); relationships with his teammates, past and present; the burden that came with his surname (which was very probably one of the reasons he found himself a free man in the first place, truth be told); and, of course, the heavy obligation of his new mission.

At face value, the terms he'd agreed to were much of what he'd once professed to loathe, and the sudden about-face felt more than a little jarring. After a week of almost total solitude with only his tortured thoughts for company, he was sick and tired of the doubts and questions swirling through his mind, yet chasing them away was no simple feat. For, as he'd confessed to T&I barely twenty-four hours ago, he still felt little of the zealous village loyalty - that intangible Will of Fire, as they'd called it back at the Academy - that was _supposed_ to be the driving force behind the true Konoha shinobi's actions. _Had he made the right decision? Was charting this new, above-ground course nothing more than an act of cowardice... a retreat from his stated life's work to avenge the Uchiha the minute his back was up against the wall?_

It was probably impossible to say definitively, particularly so soon after accepting Tsunade's terms. And yet, as Kakashi escorted him out into the bright midday sunlight, making some vague comment about seeking out his new _taichou_ for housing assistance ( _whatever that meant_ ), Sasuke found himself startled by the nature of the emotions coursing through him. Remarkable though it seemed, it felt _right_ to be standing in the middle of the village his clan had played such an instrumental part in helping to found... that Itachi had given everything for… flawed and imperfect though it was. A part of him was _looking forward_ to reclaiming his place in the shinobi world order, carrying on his brother's legacy, and resurrecting his clan from the ashes by productive as opposed to destructive means. And, as for his mission... _wasn't it really just as much about protecting those he_ did _care for and the values they so loved as it was about advancing the Leaf's cause?_ Not to mention that evil attracted evil... that, if the Godaime's collusion hunch regarding Danzo's desertion proved correct, the assignment could very possibly lead to the outcome that he _still_ desired above all else: Revenge against the _true_ culprit of his clan's destruction.

A sudden flash of neon barreled into him, startling Sasuke out of his contemplative state. Finely honed reflexes kicking immediately into gear, his right hand grasped for Kusanagi, blood pounding in his ears as his Sharingan spun to life. But, of course, given that he'd been a captive up until ten or fifteen minutes ago, he came up empty handed, his blade safely locked away who knew where.

It was Kakashi's slow, vaguely bemused tone that pulled him out of his half-mad, adrenilated state. "Mah, Naruto. Might want to be a bit more careful about tackling Sasuke like that. After a half decade in Oto, I'm not entirely sure he's accustomed to anything quite like your antics."

 _Of course. It was the_ dobe _in all his blonde and orange glory, grinning broadly as if the last five years hadn't happened._ Eyes shifting back to black, Sasuke's gaze rapidly flickered over the second figure hovering behind the Uzumaki's left shoulder. _And Sakura._ Her expression was more measured than her teammate's, gaze somewhat tentative as it ran over he and Kakashi, but a small, somewhat nervous smile was nonetheless dancing at the edges of her full lips, sending a strange little spark rather like a lightning jutsu up his spine. For a moment, he found himself remembering the pleasant feeling of her hands upon him, the rather arousing sensation of her chakra flowing through his system, and the focused, compassionate look in her eyes as she performed his exam. _Tch. He had no business thinking of her in_ that _way._

"Kaka-sensei. Sasuke. What's the news? We heard through the grapevine that _baa-chan_ and the Elders made their decision last night and came quick as we could." The words flowed from the blonde's mouth in an eager rush, blue eye snapping back and forth between them in frenetic anticipation.

Kakashi wordlessly inclined his head towards Sasuke, as if to say that the news was his to tell, his casual expression giving away no hint of the verdict. Licking his lips, Sasuke addressed his old teammates, trying to ignore the confusing mix of emotions bombarding his senses. _Stick to the facts._ "I've been pardoned. Reinstated as a _chunin_ ," he replied shortly, bracing himself for their reaction.

In truth, it was difficult to see how his genin teammates had stayed so loyal given all he'd put them through. Five years ago, he'd turned his back on them completely, rejecting their earnest professions of love and brotherhood with only the barest whisper of acknowledgment: that murmured _arigato_ he wasn't sure Sakura understood (or even remembered). Just this summer, during their encounter near Hidden Grass, he'd played the part of the disaffected Oto nin, coldly dismissing their every attempt to bring him back into the fold. And all that paled when compared with his most recent actions… joining the Akatsuki, plotting to destroy their home village, and going so far as to _directly_ threaten Naruto's life. By all rights, they ought to loathe anything and everything about him. Yet, the matching looks of relief and elation on their faces as they absorbed his statement confirmed loud and clear that nothing could be further from the truth.

The part of his mind that wasn't seeking to reason with the inexplicable was vaguely aware that Naruto was hollering something about celebratory ramen, his right arm wrapped rather tightly around his shoulder, a sprinkling of " _temes_ " and " _dattebayos_ " thrown in for good measure. Then Sakura was somewhat nervously giggling, and Kakashi's eye was crinkling in that way that signified a smile, and it was all so bizarre that Sasuke couldn't help but comment, much as he didn't want to bring down the mood… much as his spirit craved their forgiveness. "Naruto. Why would you want to have lunch with the man who almost got you killed barely a week ago?"

Across from where he stood, Sakura's upturned lips fell into a straight line, the warm glow of her gaze fading to a concerned wariness that was strangely soul crushing. While his own eyes found themselves reluctant to part from the kunoichi, he could feel Kakashi's focus upon him as well, heavy and intense, very probably trying to determine if Tsunade's pardon had been a massive mistake. On the other hand, seemingly stubborn as ever, Naruto's right arm maintained its place on his shoulder, and that idiotic, dazzling grin that somehow hadn't changed a modicum since their genin days grew, if anything, wider.

Chuckling good-naturedly, he shrugged, as if Sasuke had asked the most obvious question there could be. "Eh, why wouldn't I? _Baa-chan_ just let you off, and we haven't gotten lunch together as a team in _years_ , so it seemed like a good idea. Besides, Ichiraku's just opened back up yesterday, and I haven't been yet!" Bright blue eyes met Sasuke's own ebony, the liveliness of his gaze rather startling in its honest, fervent intensity. "As for what _happened_ … well, I'm sure there was a reason for it at the time. Of course... I s'ppose I don't really know what that _was_ … but… well..."

For a moment, Naruto's brow clenched, his befuddlement stirringly reminiscent of his reaction anytime Iruka asked him a question during their Academy days. _Perhaps he wasn't so naive, after all._ Then, the clouds that had momentarily obscured his radiant smile lifted, and he gave Sasuke's shoulder a particularly jarring squeeze that he found himself not minding nearly as much as he once would have. "It doesn't _really_ matter... does it? I mean... everyone makes mistakes, ya know? And, besides, the real _important_ thing is that you showed your true colors in the end. You came back to Konoha _and_ helped out with Kurama. So, you're definitely a good guy…"

"Hn." It was classic Naruto logic, which meant that it was completely _illogical_ yet said with an earnest conviction one couldn't help but wish to believe. It was also, quite obviously, based on a completely false premise: That Sasuke had returned to Konoha midway through the kidnapping due to some massive change of heart. _Did he set them straight? Explain that he_ hadn't _returned out of a desire to spare his old teammate's life... that he'd actually come back for Danzo's blood?_

A better man… an _honest_ man… would. But facing the hopeful gazes of his companions and finding himself too tempted by the ease of the lie after the events of the past week, Sasuke shrugged in feigned nonchalance, dark eyes dropping from the Uzumaki's gaze. At that, Naruto let out a somewhat relieved laugh, and most of the tension faded from Sakura's brow, although Kakashi was continuing to eye him thoughtfully. _How did he always know?_

Sasuke felt an unfamiliar guilt stirring in his gut, but he pushed it away, compartmentalizing the unwelcome emotion just as Orochimaru had taught him. _Like the bastard he was._ Fortunately, Naruto left him little time to brood. He soon found himself being forcefully steered in the direction of the newly rebuilt ramen stand, Sakura trailing behind them and Kakashi having vanished, either completely disgusted with his lie or sensing that celebratory ramen also meant their old _sensei_ footing the bill "for old time's sake." ( _Not that the Copy Ninja had ever_ really _been the sort to shell out for his genin team.)_

After a few-minute stroll, they ducked through the curtain to the shop and settled into three countertop seats, Sakura in the middle, Naruto on the right, and Sasuke on the far left, next to the freshly constructed wall. The Uchiha was silent for a time, picking rather moodily at his tonkotsu ramen as Naruto chattered on about his conversation with Nagato (wasn't that _classified?_ ), his training, the rebuilding of Konoha, his toad summons, the quality of the ramen (because some things apparently never changed), and, most intriguingly, his intent to learn _senjutsu_. " _Ero-Sennin_ thought it could be the key to giving me a better handle on Kurama," he explained, rather enthusiastically draining his third bowl of broth. "I mean, between Sasuke and Yamato, it's not like there's _as_ much to worry about when it comes to me losing control as there once was, but it would be real great if I could do it myself."

For once, Naruto wasn't wrong. If anything, "real great" was putting in mildly. Harnessing the _Kyuubi's_ power would be a massive personal accomplishment, not to mention a boon for Konoha more broadly. That being said, it was rather difficult to imagine the boy would could never sit still mastering a technique that had proved daunting for almost every shinobi who had come before. For Naruto might have the necessary strength and chakra stores, but _senjutsu_ was also said to require patience and focus on the highest order, two skills he had never exactly possessed in spades.

Aware that he owed more than he cared to admit to his dining companion and still not really sure what to make of their dynamic, Sasuke kept his doubts to himself, proffering a short, noncommittal nod. Instead, it was Sakura who spoke next, her tone tinged with a whisper of disappointment as she eyed the man to her right. " _Senjutsu._ So you're leaving Konoha again, then?"

Naruto nodded while simultaneously signaling to Ayame for another bowl of noodles. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. I'd love to stay and catch up more with you and _teme_ here - reminisce about old times; get in some sparring; kick his ass, Uzumaki style, just for old time's sake, ya know - but it can't be helped. Heading back to Mount Myoboku was part of Jiraiya's training plan for me, and, well, with the way things worked out, it just feels _right_. Like carrying through with his legacy or something."

He broke off, expression uncharacteristically solemn for several heartbeats before brightening once again. "Anyway… what about you, Sasuke? Did _baa-chan_ say anything about what you'll be up to now that you're officially a Konoha shinobi again?"

Sasuke swiftly scanned the restaurant, noting the lack of clientele. Tsunade hadn't said anything about his upcoming activities being classified, but he wasn't particularly keen on all of Konoha knowing his business, either. Fortunately for his teammate's curiosity, ramen for breakfast appeared to be an acquired taste. "Ah," he replied softly, setting down his chopsticks on the countertop. "She gave me a mission."

At that, Naruto let out a decidedly un-shinobi-like whoop that had Sakura shushing him soundly with a venomous " _baka_!" and Teuchi's head momentarily poking around the curtain separating the kitchen from the dining counter in frank curiosity. The kunoichi might have been scandalized by their teammate's antics, but it was clear from the keen shine in her remarkably green eyes that she too was intrigued by his pronouncement. Pursing her lips, she fixed Sasuke with a contemplative stare. "A mission? That was _fast_. Although, _Shishou_ has always tended to work quickly once she's made up her mind about something. Is your new assignment something you can tell us about?" A rather pleasing flush suddenly colored her pale cheeks. "I mean, only if you wish to, of course. It's obviously _your_ mission... none of our business, really. And we _certainly_ don't want to get you into any trouble if it's class -"

"Sakura… it's fine," he interrupted shortly, suppressing the surprisingly tempting urge to smirk at her display of concern. If anyone deserved to know his fate, it was his present companions. "The Godaime is putting together a team to track down the remaining members of Akatsuki. She wants me to be involved."

Two sets of blue and green eyes widened dramatically, with Naruto's jaw dropping almost to the counter-top. "Sasuke- _teme_ , that's _great_ news _!_ With all your freaky snake stuff and Sharingan and everything, you'll take 'em down for sure, _dattebayo!_ " His bright eyes narrowed rather calculatingly. "Ya know, maybe I _should_ talk to _baa-chan_ about the whole Mount Myoboku thing. I mean, I can't have you taking all the action for yourself… and just think how fun a full-on Team 7 reunion would be!"

" _Fun" was certainly one way of describing it._ Painfully aware of how grateful he ought to be for Naruto's forgiving nature, Sasuke had been trying to be nice - or, at least, inoffensive - over the course of the meal. This time, however, he found himself unable to hold his tongue, too easily slipping back into the repartee of their genin days. "You _can't_ go with me, _dobe_ ," he snarked. "The Akatsuki are after _jinchuuriki_. _You're_ a _jinchuuriki_. Remember?"

The blonde shrugged. "Eh. Wouldn't be the first time. Right, Sakura-chan?"

To Sasuke's great surprise, the kunoichi nodded in seeming confirmation. _What exactly had he missed while sequestered away in Oto?_ " _Shishou_ is a gambler to the core. Although, that was a relatively unique case, Naruto-kun. Honestly, I can't imagine her letting you go this time around. _Particularly_ given all you'll be learning while you're away."

Thoughtfully nibbling her lower lip, Sakura's attention shifted left, back to Sasuke himself. "Have you been given teammates? Did _Shishou_ say when you'd be assigned your first target?" The questions were simple - altogether expected, really - yet there was a calculating shine in her eyes that hinted at something more than mild curiosity.

Sasuke frowned, thinking back to what had been an emotional roller coaster of a morning, not to mention a bit of a blur. He knew frightfully little of what he'd signed up for - given all that had been at stake, he hadn't exactly been in much of a position to ask questions - but Tsunade had mentioned a few details. "Three slots including mine have been filled. It will be a four-man squad… we're to depart within the next few weeks."

The kunoichi nodded vaguely with a muted hum of acknowledgment. Setting down her chopsticks, she pushed back her bowl of barely touched ramen, contemplative gaze dropping to the gently rippling broth. Her expression was smooth and easy as ever, lips gently upturned in a display of quiet contentment, yet Sasuke couldn't let go of the idea that there was more at work than met the eye. Once upon a time, Haruno Sakura had been a relatively open book to him. But gazing at the kunoichi now, it was clear that she had learned a thing or two about keeping her true intentions masked. For a moment, he considered actually _asking_ her what was on her mind, but he quickly thought better of it. After all, she was clearly bothered by something, and her personal feelings were really none of his business.

Fortunately for his curiosity, the _dobe_ also seemed to realize that something was afoot. Pausing in his slurping, his attention flicked to his left, momentarily meeting Sasuke's gaze before pivoting to the kunoichi herself. "You feeling okay, Sakura-chan? You're awfully... _quiet_."

Startled green eyes shot up from her soup. "Hm? Oh, yes. Of course. Just thinking. It's nothing. Some things at the hospital…" she lied rather breezily. Then, giving the blonde a false smile that he returned earnestly but which made Sasuke's own stomach flip with the obviousness of its insincerity, she pushed back her stool, rising to her feet. "Speaking of which… I should probably head out. I really wish I could stay longer, but, as I'm sure you can imagine, there's a lot going on right now. Anyway… thanks for lunch, Naruto-kun! Sasuke-kun..."

With a cheery wave and a valiant attempt at a smile, she darted out of the shop, leaving Sasuke alone with the Uzumaki for the first time since the night of his kidnapping. Surveying his remaining companion's expression, he observed that the the blonde was eyeing the curtain through which Sakura had departed with an expression of rather startling concern. _A serious Naruto. That was certainly something new._

Letting out a weighty sigh, his gaze ensnared Sasuke's own. "She's been through a lot, Sakura-chan," he commented, stirring his mostly empty soup with his spoon. "We all have, of course. But, Sakura... well, I know she's awful strong these days, but I still _worry_ about her, _teme_. I'd say more... but I'm pretty foggy on the details myself, and it's really her tale to tell, ya know? Anyway, you've got your own stuff to worry about... with your mission and all. But, if it's not asking too much, it would mean a lot if you could keep half an eye on her while I'm gone. I'm sure Kaka-sensei will too… and _baa-chan_. But you know what they say. Sometimes, it really takes a village..."

Sasuke nodded, swallowing somewhat uncomfortably at the knowledge of just how little he knew the woman that Sakura had become. Given how she'd felt about him as a genin - not to mention their emotionally charged encounter the night he'd left - his departure couldn't have been easy for her to come to terms with. But that had been five years ago, and Sakura had always had a stubborn, resilient streak. As far as he knew, she'd been safely sequestered in Konoha for much of that time, developing her medic-nin craft under the watchful eye of the Godaime. Sure, she'd presumably gone on the occasional mission as well - at the very least, she'd been part of the squad that had encountered him in Hidden Grass - but those were probably one-offs. Given her rarified position as the Hokage's apprentice and her medic-nin status, it seemed exceedingly likely that such assignments had been few and exceedingly far between, probably extending no higher than B ranks. _W_ _hat could Naruto be referring to?_

Perhaps Naruto was being overly protective. It wouldn't exactly have been the first time. However, the perturbed look in the blonde's gaze and his own first few interactions with the kunoichi since his return had him wondering what _else_ had befallen Sakura in those five intervening years. For, it was becoming increasingly clear that _plenty_ had.


	42. The Request

_[AN: Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter (and the follows and favorites). I was curious to see what the reaction to the direction of this next arc would be. I have to say, 41 chapters in, it's good to hear that folks remain interested! As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto!]_

 **Chapter 42: The Request**

Haruno Sakura swiftly wound her way through the dusty streets of Konoha, mind whirling from the excitement of the morning. When she and Naruto had accosted Kakashi on his way to Tsunade's office a mere three hours ago ahead of the final verdict, he had told them that he knew as little as they when it came to their teammate's fate. For her part, Sakura had feared the worst. How could she not? Knowing all she did about the High Council's _direct_ role in condemning the Uchiha to death a mere decade ago and a steadfastly loyal shinobi to a fate worse than that, it had been difficult to see how Sasuke could possibly escape their clutches now, Naruto's cheery insistence that " _baa-chan_ 'll take care of it all" notwithstanding.

The relief at seeing Sasuke emerge alive, unbound, and walking seemingly at his own volition by their old _sensei'_ s side had left her fighting back ecstatic tears. And the subsequent revelations that he had been reinstated as a chunin, would seemingly face no punishment for his time as a missing nin, and actually seemed to be _embracing_ his new place in the village were, taken together, nothing short of miraculous in light of his past actions and the complex histories of both his clan and village. As the new reality of Sasuke's fate had sunk in and Sakura had learned a few more details of what had transpired that morning in her _Shishou's_ office, however, she had found herself beginning to grapple with more complex emotions, including several new doubts and concerns. For it all seemed far too good to be true… which meant that there _had_ to be some sort of a catch.

When it came to Sasuke's behavior, Sakura prayed that his motives were genuine... that he wasn't tied up in some elaborate infiltration plan and/or intending to flee the minute he was allowed clear of village limits. She trusted her _Shishou'_ s judgment, and nothing from their most recent interactions had caused her to feel true alarm. Moreover, while the change of heart might have seemed completely improbable to an outsider, Sakura knew enough of her old teammate's history to recognize that there was one man who _could_ have evoked such a change: Uchiha Itachi.

It was clear that Sasuke had come to deeply love his brother in the final weeks of his life. His newly earned Mangekyo Sharingan stood in seemingly firm testament to that fact. While Sakura knew little of what had transpired between the Uchiha brothers during their travels, Sasuke presumably now knew at least some of the truth about the events of the Uchiha massacre, as well as where Itachi's ultimate loyalties had lain. She suspected that it was _this_ awareness combined with a desire to carry out Itachi's legacy following his death that had driven Sasuke back into Konoha's fold.

 _But what exactly did he know? Had Itachi told him, or someone else? Who? And how would that knowledge ultimately play out?_ Given her feelings towards both brothers and the role she had played in the lead-up to their Oto confrontation, Sakura was deeply curious. But, of course, the only one who could provide answers to those questions was Sasuke himself, and she was unconvinced that asking him to recount what had probably been an immensely traumatic revelation would be in any way, shape, or form a good idea. Their interactions thus far had been relatively brief, but Sasuke had seemed more at peace than he ever had as a genin. Threatening to disrupt his potentially fragile mental status for the sake of slaking her personal curiosity would be sheer foolishness. And, of course, there was also the unavoidable fact that such a conversation was very liable to be awkward given her own relationship with Itachi.

 _Could Sasuke have any idea what had transpired between herself and his brother?_ Other than the brief referral to the man as "Itachi-san" during Sasuke's health screening - which wasn't exactly damning evidence alone - she'd been discreet, and he'd given no sign of suspicion. As for someone else spilling the beans… well, Ino hadn't even seen Sasuke yet, Tsunade and Kakashi would never do such a thing, Jiraiya was dead, and Naruto only knew about the abduction side of the coin. Itachi himself could have mentioned it, of course, but he didn't really seem the type to discuss intimate affairs, and given the role he'd intended Sakura to play in his brother's life, it wouldn't exactly have been in his best interests to do so. Besides, during their weeks on the run, Itachi had probably had far more pressing matters to discuss with his brother than his dalliance with a silly little pink-haired kunoichi.

 _Did she tell him?_ The thought had admittedly crossed her mind several times since learning of Sasuke's return to Konoha, but she didn't really see the point of him knowing. Given how uncomfortable she'd been when discussing his sexual history - her cheeks warmed even now at the memory - the idea of going into her own was positively nauseating. What was more, even if she did manage to spit the words out, he probably wouldn't care. Thus far, he had given utterly no sign of returning her painfully obvious affections. And if, by some remarkable stroke, he _did_ , well, little good was liable to come of it. For Sakura had little interest in inciting jealousy in a man who had already gone through far too much and less than no desire to besmirch however he chose to remember his brother.

Setting aside that less-than-productive train of thought and aware that she was drawing close to her intended destination, Sakura willed her mind to focus on what _was_ important right now: Sasuke's new assignment. For, while she saw where Naruto was coming from in his enthusiasm - on paper, the idea that their former teammate was being entrusted with such an important, reputation-restoring mission was _definitely_ a good thing - she couldn't help but question the motives behind it.

To her mind, the Elders had been _remarkably_ lenient with the Uchiha… too much so. Knowing what she did, Sakura couldn't help but suspect that there was a dark side to the terms he'd been given... some sort of caveat or secret motive that Sasuke either hadn't seen fit to mention or wasn't even aware of. Could the whole Akatsuki assassination mission be nothing more than an excuse? Intended as a _suicide_ assignment, a way of getting rid of a perceived threat? She didn't doubt that Sasuke's abilities were high jounin level, and she'd seen his Mangekyo up close and personal. But up against the Akatsuki and joined by a team of shinobi who might be operating on someone _else's_ instructions... it was a _deeply_ disturbing, yet seemingly plausible, possibility.

Of course, her _Shishou_ would _never_ agree to such a thing. Sakura believed that with all her heart. But even Tsunade-sama could be deceived, and Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were wily politicians with decades of experience manipulating the High Council to their whims. The greatest threat - Shimura Danzo - might have seemingly vanished into thin air, but the remaining old guard could not be discounted, particularly if they feared for their lives.

And so, it appeared that it was finally time for her to make good on Itachi's request to keep his brother safe. Given the current needs of Konoha and her own close shave with death - not to mention Tsunade's rules about combat medics - she suspected that her _Shishou_ wouldn't be very happy about the arrangement. But Sakura refused to back down. For once, she would _not_ be the one left behind, waiting home in the village for her loved ones to return. Things may not have turned out exactly as Itachi had intended, but a promise was a promise, and she would see it through to the bitter end.

* * *

The familiar, insistent knock of a small yet mighty knuckle upon her door drew Tsunade's attention away from the steaming bowl of smoked fish and rice intended as her midday meal. Taking a sip of fragrant jasmine tea that she really wished had been sake, her honey eyes darted to the latched door of her office. "Enter!" she called out authoritatively to the woman beyond, less than looking forward to the confrontation to come. As the door swung open to reveal candy pink hair, vibrant green eyes that sparkled with stubborn intent, and full lips set in a firm line, Tsunade couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. Her apprentice's presence was by no means surprising given recent developments in Konoha, but she really wished it hadn't come _right_ as she'd been tucking into her lunch.

Since the Uchiha's medical evaluation two days ago, Sakura had kept by and large to herself, going about her hospital responsibilities while also somehow finding time to put together a detailed report on her old teammate that was the epitome of medic-nin thoroughness. To an outsider, it probably would have appeared to have been business as usual, just as the woman intended. But after five years of overseeing the kunoichi's development, her high degree of distractedness had _not_ escaped Tsunade's attention.

While the Hokage had extremely limited time to devote to more personal matters in the week since Pein's attack, she had found herself wondering in those few, spare moments if she had made the correct choices in her apprentice's development: bending to her plea when it came to Uchiha Itachi's fate, silently endorsing her liaison with her old _sensei_ and current _taichou_ , letting her off the hook without even a slap on the wrist after she'd broken one of the fundamental medic-nin rules, and then, most recently, agreeing to let her serve as her old teammate's medical examiner despite knowing her convoluted history with the brat. For the course of Sakura's kunoichi career, her heart and mind had been more or less dominated by one Uchiha or another, and Tsunade had done little to mitigate that. _Perhaps, it would have been better to forbid her involvement… to let Itachi die the first time… to urge Sakura to let go of her undeserved loyalties to a pair of brothers who were darkly handsome and undeniably gifted, yet, at the end of the day, nothing but trouble. Then again, between Sakura's stubbornness and the ridiculous things love made one do, that would very probably have been a fool's errand..._

Besides, Sakura might not realize it yet, but it was clear to Tsunade that the ties between her apprentice and the last Uchiha cut both ways, at least to some extent. It was Kakashi's report from their confrontation with Pein that had been the first clue. While it was hard to say what exactly had gone through Uchiha Sasuke's mind during that chaotic showdown, the timeline indicated that he had cried out in agony because of _Sakura's_ death and that it was _that_ trauma that had ushered in the transformation of his eyes and his decision to enter the fray on Konoha's side, not the subsequent passing of his brother. Days later, during her impromptu visit to his prison cell, Tsunade had seemingly confirmed this for herself, observing the way in which his cool, detached demeanor had cracked at the mention of the supposedly deceased woman's name.

While the Uchiha would likely deny it if asked directly - _for stubbornness appeared to be a universal Team 7 trait -_ Sakura was without a doubt one of those few, precious people he had referred to in his T&I interview. _Most unfortunately._ For, much as Tsunade didn't want to subject her apprentice to any additional heartache, given the value of Sasuke's Mangekyo and what they were currently up against, the strategist in her couldn't deny the benefits to be gained from allowing the couple's mutual attachment to play out unhindered. After all, ANBU guards and pretty promises aside, the brat was still a flight risk given his history and the lure of Shimura Danzo. As such, anything - or, really, _anyone_ \- that might tighten the ties the bound him to Konoha was worth an honest shot.

Tsunade fixed the woman before her with a contemplative stare, finger steepling beneath her chin. "So, since you somehow managed to sneak your way in despite Shizune's positively militant schedule, tell me, what can I do for you today, Sakura-chan?"

The kunoichi pouted thoughtfully, an expression that the Hokage recognized as one of her own. " _Shishou_ , I've heard about Sasuke-kun's new assignment. I was hoping you could give me some insight into the terms behind his release. And the _true_ intent behind his mission."

It was a rather audacious query about matters that really were none of Sakura's damn business. Judging from the tension of her shoulders, her apprentice seemed to recognize this as well. But Tsunade had always admired gutsiness - it was a trait she, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had all inherited from Sarutobi-sama - and she saw no particular harm in satisfying the kunoichi's request given all she'd borne. "Ah. So you and Naruto-kun managed to drag a few details from his hearing out of the brat, hm? Given the Uchiha clan's legendary brevity, I presume that your old teammate gave you a relatively barebones version of what transpired. Well, without getting _too_ lost in the weeds…. Uchiha Sasuke was reinstated as a _chunin_ this morning after agreeing to be subjected to twenty-four hour ANBU surveillance for the foreseeable future. Between you and me, it's a _massive_ bother, particularly given how tight we are on resources right now, but Koharu and Homura were insistent on that point. I mean, I can't _really_ blame them given the part they played in annihilating his clan and his whole avenger complex. But, of course, that's classified business."

Sakura nodded shortly, even countenance expertly masking what _had_ to be a whirlpool of internal emotions. "I see. And the mission?"

"He'll be deployed on his first assignment as part of a specialized four-man squad in three or four weeks… once we're able to verify the latest reports from Suna regarding their target's current whereabouts. The team's purpose is to systematically track down and eliminate the remaining members of Akatsuki."

"He mentioned that part," the younger woman confirmed slowly, chewing on her lower lip. " _Shishou_ … I may be overstepping my boundaries, but I was hoping you could tell me _more_. The _true_ purpose of the mission, I mean. You don't suppose that it could be some sort of plot? To take Sasuke out...?"

 _Talk about looking underneath the underneath._ Tsunade suppressed a satisfied smirk at the sharpness of her apprentice's mind. Okay, so _yes_ , Sakura was technically wrong. As the one who had come up with the whole damn plan in the first place, she could easily confirm that the Uchiha's death was definitely _not_ the intended goal of the operation, even if he was positively insufferable. That being said, it was a remarkably astute question for one who hadn't been involved in the negotiations, and exactly the sort of crap that Koharu and Homura would try to pull. Not to mention food for thought. _Perhaps,_ that _was why the old crones had been amenable to the proposal?_

Making a mental note to speak with Shizune about scheduling a little _tete-a-tete_ with Nara Shikaku, Tsunade addressed the wary woman before her. "Rest assured that that was certainly _not_ my intention when _I_ crafted the assignment, Sakura. While there is _always_ a certain degree of risk in confronting S-class shinobi, Sasuke should be fully equipped to hold his own. Seeing as you have the Uchiha clan tome on the Sharingan within your possession, I suspect that you can speak to the powers of the Mangekyo far better than I."

Sakura nodded fervently, expression remaining guarded. " _Hai_ , _Shishou_. I certainly didn't mean to doubt _you_. I'm sure you've given the matter plenty of attention. You're not wrong about Sasuke-kun's Mangekyo, either. But, still. What if the Elders are able to influence his teammates in some way? If they prove _unreliable_ , say…"

"A fair point," Tsunade conceded. "But I think you'll find that unlikely. He'll have Yamato-san with him as _taichou_ , whom you already know both Kakashi and I trust absolutely. And I'm sending Sai as well."

At that, Sakura's mouth fell open in what was probably about to be outraged protest - given the timing of Itachi's abduction, she hadn't exactly had much time to get to know the ex-ROOT agent very well, after all - but Tsunade silenced her with a glare. "Don't start with me, Sakura. I recognize that he's a bit of a controversial choice given his history, but the gamble's worth it. Sai's accustomed to working with Yamato, well-acquainted with Sasuke's past thanks to Naruto's big mouth, and has proven himself to be a loyal Konoha shinobi to the core. Turning one's back on a man like Danzo isn't exactly _easy_ , you know…. Up until last week, it was more or less _suicide_. Now, I understand that the two of you got off to a bit of a rough start on your mission to Hidden Grass, and I know he's not exactly _easy_ given his complete lack of social skills. But you're really going to need to _trust_ me here."

With a rather surly glower, the kunoichi's lips pressed back together, as if considering her options. Seeming to have pushed her protest as far as she dared, however, the ire clouding her green eyes cleared. "Of course. I do," she confirmed with a little nod, tone shifting back to one of careful deference. "But… what of the fourth?"

 _The fourth. The blasted final squad member. One of these days, Sakura was truly going to be the death of her._ "Shikaku and I have yet to settle on our candidate," Tsunade admitted with a somewhat frustrated sigh. "But, rest assured, he or she will be carefully vetted for combat abilities _and_ loyalty to the village."

At that, green eyes shone with a new spark of something dangerous. "Perhaps… a medic nin?" their owner proposed "hesitantly," the attempt at an offhanded, casual tone not fooling her mentor for an instant. "I mean, given what they'll be up against, it might be a good idea..."

Tsunade nodded, well aware of where Sakura's thoughts were headed and not particularly keen on the concept given what had recently transpired with Pein. "A medic nin is certainly a reasonable suggestion," she agreed with a noncommittal nod. "Although, Shikaku was thinking a _tracker_ nin might be most useful, and I see his point. An S-class shinobi who doesn't want to be found is no easy target, after all. When it comes to qualified shinobi who fit that type, Kakashi is the obvious choice, of course, but, as you well know, his plate is quite full right now. We have a few other candidates in mind, but it's a bit soon to go too much into detail. And, of course, given the nature of the operation, the _full_ High Council will need to approve whomever we propose..."

Tsunade broke off, the now openly calculating look to which Sakura was subjecting her impossible to ignore. "While I agree that there's something to be said for having a team that's familiar with one another, I _really_ don't think that's a good idea, Sakura," she asserted rather bitingly. "Besides, you're one of my best medic-nins. With the rebuilding of the village just in its early stages, it'll be all hands on deck at the hospital for the foreseeable future. _And_ there's the matter of that incomplete _Byakugou_ of yours..."

To Tsunade's frustration (but utter lack of surprise), Sakura's gaze grew positively steely, this time unbowed by the overt rebuke. _In a way, she was just as bad as Naruto these days._ Nevertheless, when the kunoichi spoke, in contrast to the rambunctious blonde, her tone remained the epitome of deferential politeness, a skill Tsunade was exceedingly tempted to blame on Uchiha Itachi's influence. The combination was disgustingly compelling, just as the woman had very probably intended.

" _Shishou_ , please... hear me out," she began, hands clasping together before her. "You remember, during those early days of my apprenticeship, how weak I was. How driven to improve… to remake myself into a kunoichi with the strength to stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of her team. I've come so far. I do concede that I have further to go... that I haven't quite mastered your signature technique yet. But you and I both know how close I stand. A matter of a few weeks might make all the difference..."

Tsunade opened her mouth to speak but fell silent at the warmth in her apprentice's gaze. " _Shishou_. Give me this mission. Allow me to serve as the fourth member of Yamato- _taichou_ 's squad. I fought against Akasuna no Sasori, and I _won_. I know what it takes. I'm one of the few in the village familiar with the other three members' style. And, as a medic nin, it is my sworn duty to keep my team safe. Besides, you've spoken for years about wishing to see all elite four-man squads joined by a field medic. What better opportunity could there be than _this_ to test out your plan?"

 _Dammit._ As usual, Sakura had done her homework, cornering her poor old _Shishou_ into a seemingly inescapable trap with her brutal logic. It was all at once enraging and touching to see how far the woman before her had come, not to mention a source of more than a little hint of pride (for Sakura was, after all, _her_ apprentice). Of course, it was also a major organizational headache - Tsunade _had_ been planning on keeping Sakura busy with hospital affairs for the foreseeable future - and a rather distasteful proposition given what happened last time the kunoichi had faced off against a member of the Akatsuki. But, those doubts aside, Sakura's multi-pronged rationale combined with the knowledge that her presence by his side might tip the scale in keeping the last Uchiha in line was really too compelling for an admitted gambler like herself to resist.

And so, giving her apprentice a final once over that verified that the heavy resolve on her brow was no mask, she let out a harumph of disgruntled acceptance. "Very well. Since you insist, I will inform Shikaku that I have reached a decision… that I intend the fourth member of Team Yamato to be _you_ , Sakura. That is, as long as _you_ are truly comfortable with this… arrangement?"

Sakura didn't so much as blink. Lips tilting upwards in the barest hint of a smile, she nodded shortly. " _Hai, Shishou_. I have to be."


	43. The Four-Man Squad

_[AN: Hope everyone's had a good few weeks - ready for the next chapter? :) Thanks for all the positive feedback on the previous installment, as well as the follows and favorites. I know I say this at the top of more-or-less every chapter, but knowing that there are people out there reading/anticipating what's to come is such a neat feeling, not to mention motivating! As usual, this story is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]_

 **Chapter 43: The Four-Man Squad**

The tinny tone of a brand-new alarm clock rang out through the sparsely furnished bedroom, puncturing the early morning silence that had previously presided over the space. Fast as lightning, a pale hand shot out from beneath the navy bedspread, long, tapered fingers eagerly seeking out the offending noisemaker. After a few seconds of frustrated scrambling across the cedar tabletop and a groggy curse from its owner, it found its mark, furiously pressing the "off" button before returning to the delicious warmth from which it had come.

The temptation to roll over and pretend that the disgustingly early wake-up call was just one more of his far too frequent nightmares was exceedingly compelling. But Uchiha Sasuke resisted the urge. For today - three days following the verdict that had restored his place in Konoha - was the day of his new squad's first official meeting, and it was time to put his best foot forward. Besides, given the varied tortures sleep too-often bestowed upon him these days, there was something to be said for rising early, his hatred of mornings be damned.

With a heavy sigh, Sasuke relinquished his blanket, rising to a seated position on the firm mattress he had purchased two days prior. Bare feet hitting the cool wooden floor - _desire not to tap into clan funds aside, he really ought to invest in a carpet_ \- his dark eyes proceeded with their reflexive scan of his surroundings, taking in the three-drawer dresser at the far end of the bed, the kunai kit and Leaf _hitai-ate_ he'd deposited upon its surface last night, and the framed photo of Team 7, his own boyhood scowl, Sakura's cheery grin, Naruto's glower, and Kakashi's ever-masked visage staring somewhat comfortingly back at him. The image had not-so-mysteriously appeared in its current place the prior afternoon, following Kakashi's brief visit to confirm that Sasuke was "all settled" _(whatever that meant_ ), and currently represented the only nonutilitarian piece of decor in his one-bedroom apartment.

Stumbling somewhat inelegantly out of his low double-bed after confirming that the coast was clear - aside from the ever-present ANBU platoon keeping watch, of course - Sasuke made for the dresser, opening the top drawer, which held his newly acquired training gear. After unceremoniously pulling on his dark, standard-issue shinobi pants, his progress came to a momentary halt, gaze falling upon the familiar red and white of the _uchiwa_ imprinted proudly upon the back of his black shirt, its high collar and loose short sleeves reminiscent of the style he vaguely remembered Itachi wearing prior to the Massacre.

The decision to emblazon himself with the emblem of his clan had not been a simple matter. After all, the _uchiwa_ painted a literal target upon his body, declaring to distrustful villagers, vindictive shinobi both at home and abroad, and fame-and-fortune-hungry bounty hunters alike that he was the infamous "last Uchiha," wielder of the legendary, accursed Mangekyo Sharingan.

Over the past few days, as he'd maneuvered his way around the village, installing himself in one of the newly constructed apartment complexes near the commercial district (for there were too many ghosts in the Uchiha district for him to even _consider_ moving in there) and tracking down furniture and supplies, he hadn't failed to notice the whispers and glares that seemed to follow him everywhere he went. The attention wasn't exactly _surprising_ given his history, but that didn't exactly make it welcome. As such, when it had come to selecting his new gear, it had been somewhat tempting to go the lay-low route, to keep his attire unburdened by the distinctive emblem. After all, there were plenty of other dark-eyed, dark-haired shinobi _not_ possessing the Uchiha surname within the Land of Fire. A trained sensor might pick up on his distinctive chakra, and those with ambition would probably recognize his visage from the Bingo Book, but, with some discretion, he ought to be able to conceal his true identity from the average rank-and-file shinobi, not to mention the civilian population at large.

On the other hand, the Uchiha was and would always be his clan, and its stylized fan was one of his most integral symbols of self, of the complex history of his inheritance, and, more positively, of his hopes for the future. And so, when the kindly old clothier from whom he'd purchased his shinobi duds had asked him whether he'd like her to affix any sort of ornamentation or identification to the garments, he'd quietly accepted, doing his best to ignore the way her wizened brows had shot towards her hairline and her gently upturned lips had straightened into a downward line at his requested design.

Pulling the shirt over his head with a shake of his dishevelled mop, Sasuke next reached for his black wristbands, followed by his weapons pouch and his _hitai-ate_ , swiftly tying the latter to his forehead. After a five-year absence, the metal felt foreign against his skin - the sensation a constant reminder of his new lot in life - but he supposed he would grow used to it with time. _If he kept up his end of the agreement, that was._

Sasuke intended to... at least for the time being. He had promised Itachi he would carry on his legacy, and the experience of witnessing a loved one's death with the bitter awareness that his own actions were ultimately to blame was one he _never_ wished to undergo again. Couple those driving forces with the cold, hard fact that the rebuilding of Konoha was the _productive_ , peaceful way forward, and logic dictated that he had no other move but to play the part that the Godaime had assigned to him, becoming a redeemer rather than an avenger.

Yet, his heart refused to stay quiet. As long as he remained in the village, the ghosts of the past haunted him... the suspicious glares; the ANBU guardsmen whose constant presence he could not ignore, much as he might wish to; and, most of all, the empty, barren Uchiha District all reminders that his clan - _his brother_ \- remained unavenged, that the Leaf ties that now bound him could very well deny him the happy justice of Danzo's death if fate proved, once again, cruel. For, as Tsunade herself had told him towards the end of his hearing, as long as he remained a Konoha shinobi, there could be no lone wolfing.

But those were thoughts for another time. Now, he had a squad to meet, and, prior to that, some much-needed practice to attend to. It had been weeks since he had had the opportunity to get in any sort of training, and his body thirsted for the welcome relief that exhausted muscles could provide.

Sweeping into the bathroom, Sasuke caught sight of his pale visage in the mirror over the sink, frowning minimally at the tired shadows staring back at him. Short of a chakra-wasting transformation technique, there was little he could do about the too-dark circles underlining his eyes, but his bed head was potentially a different story. Running his left hand through his dark locks in an attempt to quell their wildness, his ire grew at the lack of effect his ministrations demonstrated. With a tired sigh, he turned away from his reflection, aware that he was fighting a losing battle and not really understanding why he had even thought to bother in the first place. For, his mother's old piece of advice about the importance of first impressions aside, he very much doubted that anyone on his new team would give a damn about the state of his hair.

Next, the Uchiha proceeded down the hall, through his unfurnished sitting room and into his galley-style kitchen. Setting the kettle upon the stove, he busied himself with assembling a couple of seaweed _onigiri_ , using the leftover rice from the previous night's dinner as his base. As the kettle began to hiss, he darted to the cupboard across from the stove, pulling out his earthen mug and adding a generous scoop of tea leaves. The pungent, slightly grassy scent filled his nose, reminding him fleetingly of long-vanished breakfasts in his parents' house, his father seated with his customary frown at the head of the table, his mother bustling around the kitchen in a whirl of cheery energy, and Itachi seated directly across from him, a small smile quirking his lips as he carefully stirred a generous spoonful of honey into the steaming mug before him.

Having yet to purchase a table, Sasuke ate standing at his kitchen work station, alternating bites of rice with sips of tea, brewed strong and bitter, to his preference. With only the silence of his apartment for company, he made quick work of the meal. Then, placing the empty mug in the sink for later, he crossed to his front door, slipped his sheathed _chokuto_ onto his back and his feet into his black shinobi sandals, and let himself out, hands reflexively weaving a protective jutsu. _Not that he truly possessed anything of value._

The early morning rays were warm on his back as Sasuke traced his way through the quiet streets of Konoha towards Training Ground 12, his new team's specified gathering point. As had become his custom over the past three days, he avoided any and all eye contact with the few men and women who joined him as fellow early risers. For he was long accustomed to solitude and was only too aware of how unwelcome his presence was.

He reached the first of the village's training fields after roughly fifteen minutes, the grassy terrain and isolated crops of trees that characterized the landscape appearing to have undergone little damage during Pein's attack, as green and lush as he remembered. Onwards he strode, past the first two practice areas, before coming to the mouth of the currently empty Training Ground 3. At the sight of the three weathered tree stumps still standing in the center clearing, he came to a momentary pause, lips quirking slightly upwards at the distant memory of his first full practice with another four-man squad. Then, squaring his shoulders, he continued on, leaving the past behind as he closed in on his destination.

Training Ground 12 was one of the flatter, more open venues that Konoha had to offer, buffered on one side by the broad Naka River and on the other by the dense forest that surrounded the village. A few isolated trees dotted the otherwise sun-baked ground, casting pockets of shade over the hard-packed earth. As expected, the field was deserted: Sasuke was the first of his new team to arrive.

Making his way to the shade of a large elm to the far left of the field, he unbuckled his _chokuto_ , leaning the hilt up against the trunk and placing his kunai pack at its side. Then, with a deep sigh and a roll of his surprisingly tense shoulders, he allowed his body to take control, beginning to move through a familiar, series of stretches and _katas_. Clearing his mind, he concentrated fully on the steady flow of his chakra through his system, all the doubts, anxieties, desires, and emotions that had tormented him since his surrender gradually melting away.

Sasuke continued in this fashion for roughly half an hour, with only the light breeze and the occasional bit of birdsong for company, an unfamiliar peace falling over him as his muscles reawakened from their week in captivity. Once he completed his warm-up, he retreated temporarily to the shade, crouching down by his weapons kit to inspect the tools he'd purchased himself two days prior. He'd splurged a bit when it came to both quality and quantity, but given his lifelong love of the craft, it was worth it.

Weapons in hand, he continued on to the far side of the elm tree, where someone had set up a few _shurikenjutsu_ targets. The layout was nothing fancy, but it would do for a bit of light practice.

He was just beginning his fifth round of throwing when the sound of steady footsteps approaching grabbed his attention. Spinning around with a kunai in his right hand, Sasuke watched with muted interest as a slender man of medium height strode towards him. He was pale with a long face; wide, dark eyes that dominated his features; and medium-brown hair tucked back behind a _happuri_ -style Leaf _hitai-ate_. Judging from his age, his serious countenance, the look of shrewd appraisal in his gaze, and the standard jounin duds he was wearing, he was more likely than not Sasuke's new _taichou_. He was also, quite surprisingly, a known entity, although where Sasuke recognized him from wasn't immediately clear.

 _The Godaime had described him as one of Itachi's former ANBU teammates. Could he have once visited the Uchiha Compound?_

That seemed unlikely. While he'd obviously been quite young, Sasuke didn't actually recall his brother ever bringing any of his comrades home. The Compound wasn't exactly a popular hangout spot for those outside of the clan, after all, and, other than Shisui, his _nii-san_ had pretty much kept to himself. It must have been later… sometime after the Massacre. Although, that too seemed unlikely. For, as a lowly genin, Sasuke's interactions with non- _sensei_ jounin had been relatively few and far between. _Perhaps, he'd been a proctor during the Chunin exams? Part of the squad that had taken him under arrest following Itachi's death?_

Coming to a stop a few feet from where Sasuke stood, the man gave him a polite nod. "It's good to see you under more favorable circumstances, Uchiha-san. You may call me Yamato. Or _taichou_ , if you prefer."

"Ah." Sasuke felt his eyes widen as he suddenly realized how they were acquainted. _The wood user he'd stabbed in Hidden Grass. Kakashi's replacement. It was_ him _._

It wasn't exactly surprising that he had failed to recognize the dark-eyed shinobi. After all, their past interaction had been relatively brief, and, what with Naruto's yammering, Sakura's doe eyes, and Sasuke's own unexpected confrontation with the _Kyuubi,_ there had been a lot going on at the time. That being said, it was an extremely awkward revelation. _And_ dangerous given that Yamato now had direct authority over him and would presumably be the one providing regular reports to the High Council about his behavior while their squad was away on missions.

Licking his lips, Sasuke considered what he could _possibly_ say to ameliorate the matter. _Apologize, probably._ But apologies had never exactly been his strong point, and a muttered "sorry" for almost killing a man in cold blood didn't really seem in any way, shape, or form sufficient.

Very fortunately, Yamato seemed to realize his plight. Tipping his head good naturedly, his pale lips twitched slightly, as if suppressing a smile. "There's no need to be so concerned with the past, Uchiha-san," he commented mildly, dark eyes twinkling in the sunlight. "This is, after all, a _fresh start."_

 _Thank Kami_. An unfamiliar rush of gratitude flooded Sasuke's senses. " _Ah_ ," he murmured fervently, meeting Yamato's steady gaze. "Sasuke is fine."

The dark-eyed man nodded seriously. "Sasuke-san it is. As I believe you should already know from Hokage-sama, we are expecting two more today. I anticipate that they'll be joining us shortly… they're usually timely, at least. Once they've arrived, we'll launch into some sparring."

"Hn." Sasuke waited in silence for several heartbeats for Yamato to say more, but he seemed to have said all that he intended, for he crouched down to the earth, busying himself with the shinobi pack he had been carrying over his left shoulder.

Shifting on his feet, the Uchiha considered his own next move, furtively eyeing his companion. It was somewhat tempting to ask Yamato about his past with Itachi. For Sasuke was painfully aware that there was much about his _nii-san_ that he simply did not know, and it seemed feasible that a former teammate might very well be able to shed more light on the man that he had been. On the other hand, while the Godaime and Yamanaka Inoichi had both seemed aware that there was more to Itachi than his clan killer reputation, that didn't necessarily mean that Yamato was in the same boat. To the vast majority of Konoha's denizens, his brother's name remained - and would likely always be - anathema. Thus far, his new _taichou_ seemed like a civil, surprisingly kindly shinobi, and, given that he was ex-ANBU, he presumably knew his fair share of village secrets. Nevertheless, it would be unwise for Sasuke to push his luck during their first official meeting.

Besides, his opportunity for additional one-on-one conversation was apparently over, at least for the time being. For, just as Yamato had predicted, another one of his new teammates had come into sight, and his almost unnaturally pale complexion, dark hair and eyes, and oddly blank face caused Sasuke to do a double take, a spike of annoyance shooting up his spine at the realization of exactly whom it was. _Another one of the shinobi from Hidden Grass. That made one thing clear: The Slug Princess apparently shared Orochimaru's twisted sense of humor._

The new arrival sidled over to the elm tree, obviously fake smile forming as he and Yamato met eyes. "Ah, Sai, right on time, as expected," the older shinobi commented evenly, looking up from his pack with what seemed to be his typically mild demeanor.

"Sai" nodded in acknowledgment. " _Taichou_." Then, his gaze shifted to Sasuke himself, a flicker of something undefinable igniting his dark eyes. "Uchiha- _san_." His tone was, at face value, perfectly polite, yet Sasuke couldn't ignore the suspicion that there was something else - something _mocking -_ behind it.

Dark thoughts swirled as the Uchiha wordlessly stared him down, remembering their pair of encounters in Orochimaru's Hidden Grass hideout. While he had gotten the better of the Leaf shinobi during their first interaction, the second - Sai's intrusion into his bedroom hours later - was the one that stood out in his memory. Thrown off by the audacity of the pale-faced stranger who had spoken of bonds that he could not deny, hard as he fought them, Sasuke had immediately and violently reacted, seeking to drown out the troublesome cascade of emotions that his words had evoked with destruction.

Of course, his visitor had technically been _right_ about his place in Konoha. Sasuke saw that now. In his heart of hearts, he had known it even then. But that didn't make Sai any more palatable. For there remained something decidedly off-putting about the pale shinobi with the strangely soulless eyes that had Sasuke's palms positively itching to put him in his place.

Difficult though it was, he resisted the urge. For, given the terms of his agreement with the High Council and the ANBU guard assuredly monitoring him, Sasuke could ill afford to come to unsanctioned blows with one of his new teammates. Not to mention that logic dictated that he had little _true_ cause to feel such intense dislike. _Besides, Yamato had said they would spar. Sai would get his comeuppance later._

And so, with a wordless nod of vague recognition, Sasuke turned back to his target practice. Releasing the kunai still within his grasp, he watched with some satisfaction as the tip embedded itself in the very center of its intended target with a dull _thud._

 _Hopefully, his final teammate would be less… familiar_. It would certainly make team dynamics less complicated, more fully granting him the new start of which Yamato had spoken. And, of course, if and when it came to choosing between sticking with his assignment and hunting down Danzo, a squad to which he felt less personal attachment _\- or even actively disliked, given Sai's presence -_ would make his decision simpler.

Firing off his last few kunai, Sasuke crossed the clearing and collected the knives before _shunshinning_ back to his prior position for another round. _Their fourth team member was certainly taking his sweet time_. _Hn._ _And Yamato had said that he was usually prompt._ The lateness didn't exactly speak well of the unknown individual's time management skills. Then again, Kakashi was more or less notorious for his inability to keep a schedule, and he was quite obviously one of Konoha's top shinobi.

Yamato seemed to share Sasuke's vague annoyance. Glancing up at the sun from the gear he was reordering, he frowned minimally. "She's late. That's unlike her. We'll give it a few more minutes before we get started."

" _Hai, taichou_."

"Tch."

 _Her_.

Sasuke turned back to his targets, frowning in thought. The fact that his final teammate was apparently a kunoichi was something he probably should have expected. After all, modern shinobi squad theory dictated that the inclusion of at least one kunoichi brought a unique and valuable perspective to a team, contributing better overall cohesiveness and communication skills. It had been the rule of thumb during his genin days, at least, and, given that the Hokage was now a kunoichi, it seemed unlikely that times had changed.

He supposed the gender of the forth really didn't matter. In both Konoha and Oto, he had encountered several kunoichi who could stand toe-to-toe with even the most formidable shinobi. That being said, he couldn't help but feel a certain wariness all the same. _Probably brought on by a youth in which he had been far too often beset by empty-headed fangirls who liked his looks without really knowing anything about him._ Given his rogue-nin reputation, he presumed that such unwelcome attention was (fortunately) now a part of his past, and the fact that the kunoichi in question was apparently skilled enough to go up against the Akatsuki was another definite point in her favor. Still, it was hard to say for sure. Sasuke had admittedly limited experience with the fairer sex - given that Anzu had turned out to be Orochimaru's tool, it was hard to say she counted - but, from what he'd seen during his travels with Deidara, in particular, there were plenty of women, kunoichi and not, who apparently had a thing for rogues.

Well, with a bit more patience, he would find out soon enough who exactly he would be dealing with. Launching back into his _shurikenjutsu_ training, Sasuke moved into some of his more intricate variations, activating his Sharingan, channeling chakra to his feet, running about twenty feet up a nearby tree trunk, and propelling himself off so that he was somersaulting through the air. Releasing the pair of kunai in his grasp, he began to twist around, tucking his body like one of the cats he used to track as a child.

It was just as he was coming out of his rotation that he spied an altogether surprising flash of candy pink. _What was_ Sakura _doing at his new team's first practice?_

* * *

Her first training session with her new team… and she was _late_. Of course, it wasn't like Sakura had any sort of initial impression to make given that all three of her new teammates were known entities. That being said, after a genin-hood spent waiting for one exceedingly tardy _sensei_ , she always did her best to be prompt.

Not to play the blame game, but it wasn't _really_ her fault. Now that she had mere weeks left before Team Yamato set out on its first mission, there was more to do than ever before at the hospital: wrapping up and transitioning over all of her current cases, carefully documenting the necessary follow-up she would have usually been responsible for, and ensuring that her assorted administrative responsibilities were properly reassigned to other staff members. Couple her transition back to active duty with the fact that the hospital was still very much in rebuilding mode after the crisis that had been Pein's attack, and it was something of a wonder that she hadn't missed the day's session entirely.

Racing past Training Grounds 10 and 11, Sakura's footsteps slowed as she closed in on their assigned meeting place. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, the twenty-minute dash from the hospital combining with an undeniable sense of trepidation about what lay ahead. Since receiving confirmation from her _Shishou_ two days ago that the High Council had agreed to her inclusion on Sasuke's new team, she had been by turns anticipating and dreading this moment. _What would their dynamic be? Would Sasuke take this opportunity at redemption seriously? Would Sai behave himself? And what of their stated mission? Was she_ truly _ready for this?_

When it came to the audience that had earned her this assignment, Sakura had certainly talked a big game, flashing her duty as a medic, her combat record, and all the work she had put in over the course of the past five years as justification for her inclusion on the roster. She stood by her words, but, three days later, it was hard not to let the doubts creep in. She had received training from three masters of the shinobi craft - Hatake Kakashi, Senju Tsunade, and, too briefly, Uchiha Itachi - but would she be able to put their lessons to good use when it counted? She'd bested Akasuna no Sasori in battle, but that was with quite a bit of assistance, and she's been pretty much useless against Pein (although she _had_ saved Kakashi's life, which was definitely something). Was that first victory a fluke? A lucky win against an opponent who had vastly underestimated her? Even her med-nin craft, the skill set that usually gave her so much confidence, was causing her second thoughts, her awareness that she hadn't quite mastered the Byakagou ( _yet_ ) never far from the forefront of her mind.

 _Confidence. She needed to be confident._ As she had told Tsunade, she had trained for five years for this assignment. With a full squad beside her and a game plan in place, facing off against the Akatsuki was still an intimidating prospect with a _lot_ of risk involved - Asuma- _sensei's_ death was tragic proof of that - but it wasn't, necessarily, complete suicide. And besides, short of running back to her _Shishou_ with her tail between her legs and her promise to Itachi broken, it was really much too late to back out now.

So, with a deep, steadying breath and a reinvigorating toss of her pink hair, Sakura rounded the final bend that had been separating her from Training Ground 12, bringing herself in view of her teammates.

Sai, Yamato, and Sasuke were all on the far side of the field, each shinobi engaging in his own version of a warm-up routine: _katas_ for the ink user, katana maintenance for Yamato, and _shurikenjutsu_ for the Uchiha. Given how finely honed her _taichou's_ blade appeared to be and the thin sheen of sweat that glistened on Sai's and Sasuke's brows, they had all likely been waiting for her for some time.

It was Sai who noticed her first, pausing in his motions to give her a spare half-glance of acknowledgment. With a small, somewhat tentative smile, Sakura returned the gesture, glad to see that the usually tactless man was apparently on best behavior and willing herself to ignore the latent doubts still swirling in her mind. _Tsunade certainly seemed to trust him. That should really be enough for her._

Seemingly as always, however, it was Sasuke who soon commanded her attention.

He stood about thirty yards from the elm tree under which Yamato was crouched, tossing kunai after kunai at the motley collection of targets some industrious genin had very probably set up. It might not have been the most difficult of layouts, but his fluidity of motion was the definition of simple, elegant efficiency and his marksmanship stunningly consistent. While Sakura was no longer a lovesick little twelve year old, it was impossible to deny that Sasuke's _shurikenjutsu_ training remained a thing of beauty to witness.

It also appeared that he'd added a few tricks to his arsenal in the intervening years. Seemingly weary of what probably felt like child's play, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, clutching what appeared to be at least three or four kunai in each hand. Propelling himself up the trunk of the nearby tree through that same manipulation of chakra he'd first mastered long ago in the Land of Waves, he was quickly airborne, a midnight blur as he twisted through the air, releasing his weapons in a deadly flurry of perfect accuracy. Then, demonstrating a level of acrobaticism that rivaled even Kakashi, his body continued twisting, his feet preparing to return to the ground, and his eyes - those brilliant, blood-red eyes, all at once like his brother's yet so, profoundly different - suddenly locking on _her._

Sakura swallowed hard as her heart positively leapt into her throat, willing her expression to remain even and composed as she met his questioning gaze head on. It wasn't exactly surprising that her presence was apparently a surprise. Thanks to the combination of her insane work schedule, the knowledge that Sasuke had never been one for social calls, and a somewhat maddening uncertainty about where they stood after his medical exam and the lunch with Naruto and Itachi's death and that desperate plea she'd made the night of his departure five years ago and their encounter in Hidden Grass and everything _else_ that had happened since the last time they were part of the same squad, she hadn't actually sought him out since Ichiraku's three days ago.

 _Did he have any idea what she was doing there? Probably not._ After all, the only things that Sasuke really knew about her these days were that she was a medic nin and the Godaime's apprentice, and neither of those roles exactly lent themselves to a long-term, high-risk combat assignment. Add to that the fact that his primary memories of her skills in battle were almost certainly from their Team Seven days, and his confusion made total sense.

The revelation was rather enraging, actually (not that it was really Sasuke's _fault_ ). For she might not be a prodigy or the _Kyuubi's_ vessel or even a jounin quite yet, but she was also far more than the little girl he'd left behind on a cold cement bench five years ago. It also happened to be the _exact_ tonic she needed to chase away the last bit of her nerves. Resolve stiffening, Sakura abandoned her place at the entrance of Training Ground 12, shoulders thrown back as she confidently joined her teammates beneath the tree. "Good morning, Sai-kun, Yamato- _taichou_ , Sasuke. I'm sorry I'm late. Hospital work, you know."

The wood user rose to his feet, eyeing her fake smile pleasantly. "Not a problem, Sakura-chan. I'm sure that Shizune-san and Tsunade-sama are trying to take advantage of every moment you have remaining in Konoha right now."

Out of her periphery, Sakura saw Sasuke's left eyebrow quirk the slightest bit upwards, his gaze shifting from Yamato back to her as the realization of what her presence meant seemingly sunk in. _She'd guessed right, then. Kami, she would give anything to know what he was thinking..._

"Now that we're all together, we might as well get started," their _taichou_ continued, choosing either not to notice or not to care that fifty percent of his team was presently a bit distracted. "Since we're more-or-less acquainted with one another already, we'll start with some one-on-one sparring. Sasuke, Sai. Since Sakura just joined us, why don't the two of you go first?"

With a brusque nod that was ever-so-Sasuke and an obedient " _hai, senpai"_ from Sai, the dark-haired duo made their way to the center of the training ground. Facing down one another, they assumed their starting postures, Sasuke's right hand resting on the hilt of the _chokuto_ strapped to his back and Sai idling twirling his ink brush, a bit like it was a kunai.

Sakura's eyes danced between them, assessing the match-up. While they were teammates now, there seemed to be little love lost between the pair, at least judging from the tension in the air and the dark, somewhat foreboding intent swirling in Sasuke's eyes. The back of her neck prickling with nervous goosebumps despite the warmth of the day, her mind began to spin with too-familiar worries.

The facts weren't exactly pretty. For the last (and only) time the two had encountered one another, Sai had had a Bingo Book with Sasuke's name listed in it, and they'd apparently had some sort of confrontation in Hidden Grass that had resulted in the destruction of much of Orochimaru's hideout. Tsunade hadn't seemed overly concerned by this history, but observing the men now, Sakura couldn't help but question her _Shishou's_ gamble. _Did Sasuke know that Sai had been one of Danzo's agents? Was he even aware of the part that the missing Konoha Elder had played in his clan's downfall? And, what of Sai's motives? What if he was a better actor than they thought? What if he_ hadn't _forsaken his ROOT mission to take down the last of the Uchiha, after all?_

The kunoichi chewed her lip nervously, verdant eyes drifting over to her _taichou's_ tall figure, his forearms casually folded across his chest and his expression benignly thoughtful. _There was nothing to be concerned about... at least for the time being. She was probably being paranoid. They were just training. Yamato would_ surely _step in if either shinobi tried anything... less than friendly._

 _Right?_


	44. The Unexpected Jutsu

_[AN: Oof... sorry for disappearing for another month. I was actually writing most days; things were just a bit slow going (and I admittedly got kind of sidetracked by a now half-finished Team 7 poly one-shot that may or may not ever see the light of day). Hope you enjoy the next chapter! Combat scenes are still a bit of a work in progress for me, As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto._ ]

 **Chapter 44. The Unexpected Jutsu**

The spar began on a signal from Yamato.

Watching from the safety of the elm tree's shade, it was hard for Sakura to say which shinobi moved first. Right arm a literal blur, Sasuke immediately drew his blade, blue lightning beginning to crackle somewhat ominously around him, highlighting his finely chiseled features as he channeled what appeared to be the same variant of _Chidori_ he'd displayed in Hidden Grass. It was quite the show of ninjutsu for what was supposed to be the start of a bit of light sparring between teammates, but, then again, Sasuke had never really done anything by half measures.

He wasn't alone in his activity, either. At the sound of Yamato's voice, Sai's left hand had immediately gone to the pack at his hip, and he was feverishly sketching on a piece of parchment he'd unfurled, pale brow clenched in concentration. With a flourish, he raised his arm from the paper, dancing backwards as a pair of stylized lions erupted before him. Teeth bared, they took a bounding leap towards their foe, killing intent clear.

It seemed like a rough start for the Uchiha, beaten at the game of speed that he usually so dominated. Before the lions could take more than three steps forward, however, the electricity that Sasuke had been channeling erupted outwards, and the result was positively devastating. Striking the felines with twin yowls of rage and two splatters of ink, a third bolt blackened the very earth upon which Sai had stood mere seconds ago, shaking the ground with its force.

The bolt was a close call with what seemed to have been enough power to do some significant damage. Despite her doubts about Sai, Sakura's heart leapt into her throat at the thought of what would have happened had the former ROOT operative _not_ thought to change up his location. _It appeared that the addition of a medic nin on this particular squad was even_ more _necessary that she'd thought._ Although, in fairness, her own training sessions with Tsunade-sama usually ended up more or less wrecking their designated training ground. _Perhaps, she ought to give both men a bit more credit when it came to knowing their limits..._

Turning her attention back to the spar, Sakura watched as Sasuke followed up his lightning volley with an impressive inferno - the Uchiha clan's legendary Great Fireball Technique - dark eyes glowing with the yellowy-orange flames. It was a _perfectly_ executed bit of jutsu. Even though she was standing almost halfway across the training ground, the blast of heat it generated was uncomfortably warm on her skin, not to mention perfectly aimed.

That being said, while visually impressive, for a shinobi of Sai's skill level, the deployment of a relatively straightforward _katon_ jutsu by a man whose clan was synonymous with the technique was also rather predictable. Clearly having anticipated the attack, the ex-ROOT operative had sketched himself an escape route in the form of an oversized hawk. As Sai leapt onto its back, the bird took to the skies with a piercing cry, and the fireball hit a tree on the far side of the clearing, causing it to erupt in a pyrotechnic display that was the epitome of destructive beauty.

Just like the pair of lions it followed, however, the hawk was not long for this world. Immediately switching tactics at the sight of the creature, Sasuke sent a volley of shuriken arcing into the air, jaw clenched with concentration as his dark eyes calculated the bird's trajectory. Five of the six weapons struck true, crippling the creature just as it passed over a maple. With a shriek of dismay, it vanished in a swirl of ink, sending its rider tumbling down into the canopy.

A gasp escaped Sakura's lips, eyes widening in shock as she fervently sought out some sign of the ink user through the maze of branches. The drop _had_ to have been at least eight or nine feet... but, _somehow_ , Sai appeared wholly unharmed. Indeed, taking full advantage of the cover that the dense foliage provided and possibly sensing that his ninjutsu was a less-than-stellar match-up against the Uchiha's deep arsenal of long-range attacks, he retaliated seconds later with a flotilla of his own kunai spinning Sasuke's way.

His aim was good… but his opponent's reflexes were better. Backflipping to avoid the first four knives, the Uchiha easily parried the fifth - seemingly intended for his jugular - with a kunai of his own, the barest hint of a smirk warming his still-dark eyes.

 _A smirk. That was good. And no Sharingan either_. _Perhaps, this was Sasuke's version of a "friendly" spar._

As Sai dropped to the ground and the duo came together to engage in a taijutsu sequence, Sakura found her gaze drawn to Sasuke's form. When it came to taijutsu, she knew from experience that the ROOT-trained shinobi was by no means a slouch, but his opponent was simply on another level. His movements were fast, precise, efficient… perfectly timed to exploit his opponent's ever misstep and weakness, albeit not quite reaching the almost dance-like grace that Itachi had shown during their spars on Toki. But that was an extremely minor critique. For, whatever Sasuke might lack in elegance, he more than made up for with pure, raw power.

Catching Sai off-guard with a feint to his left, the Uchiha's right leg suddenly swung upwards to deliver a kick that Sakura recognized as the lead-in to his Lion Combination. The ink user managed to avoid the blow through a defensive maneuver of his own, blocking the attack with both arms and then quickly scrambling out of harm's way in the split-second it took for Sasuke to regain his balance. That being said, he by no means escaped unscathed. For Sai's entire frame shook with the effort, and the look of bare-faced concern that came over his features as he regrouped suggested that he was far too aware that he was physically in over his head.

In what was likely an act of desperation and having been bested at both ninjutsu and taijutsu, Sai drew his _tanto._ His dark hair was mussed and his brow damp with sweat, but his eyes shown with focused intent all the same as he prepared himself for what looked to be his final stand.

But two could certainly play the _kenjutsu_ game, and it quickly became clear that Sasuke carried a _chokuto_ for far more than lightning-based jutsus. Feet shifting into a trained swordsman's stance, he smoothly drew his own weapon, dark eyes flashing as he competently parried the ink user's first attack, sending Sai spinning to his left in a clear statement of who, once again, had the upper hand.

A few more engagements, and the spar was over, Sai's _tanto_ having been swept out of his grasp and the point of Sasuke's own blade aimed somewhat menacingly towards his adversary's throat. It was a somewhat unnerving sight, actually, _particularly_ knowing that the Uchiha's every move was under the scrutiny of an ANBU platoon. Indeed, not for the first time, Sakura found herself wondering if her _Shishou's_ latest gamble was truly a good idea, if Sasuke _could_ be trusted, and if the Elders had actually played their hand better than Tsunade had thought. _Oh, Sasuke-kun. Please don't do anything… reckless..._

Very fortunately, the moment of tension ended up being short lived. Dark gaze flicking across his adversary's pale face, Sasuke silently retreated, sheathing his sword and wiping away the sweat that had collected on his own brow. "You fought well," he commented shortly to the man before him. "I don't remember you from the Academy."

 _Sai's origins. ROOT. Danzo._ The relief that had flooded Sakura's body at the sight of Sasuke's relaxed shoulder immediately vanished, replaced by a new, positively nauseating dread. Her eyes darted nervously towards the ink user, wondering how he'd explain himself… whether he knew what a trigger the name "Shimura Danzo" could be for the man standing before him. _If Sasuke knew that much of the truth, that was._..

To her great relief, however, Sai seemed to think better of providing any sort of real explanation. Lips tilting upwards into a thin smile, he nodded his head in vague acknowledgment. " _Arigato_ , Uchiha-san. You're not the first to have found me... _less than memorable_. I was a late addition to Team Kakashi, appointed by the _Godaime_. And, no, I don't believe we ever crossed paths before you... _left_."

At the vaguely mocking intonation, Sakura saw a flicker of some sort of emotion dart through Sasuke's eyes, but he suppressed it quickly, turning his attention rather fixedly to reordering the kunai kit hanging from his waist with a "hn" of finality.

Instead, it was Yamato who next spoke, either wishing to keep his new team on something of a schedule and/or aware that the two younger shinobi were treading on dangerous grounds. "Well, then. Sakura-chan, we're next up," he noted, striding out into the midday sunlight with a relaxed expression on his face. "Good work, Sasuke-san, Sai-kun."

* * *

Sasuke silently retreated to the shade as Sakura and Yamato took their places in the sunlight, eyeing the unadorned back of the dark-haired man's cropped shirt. As Sai turned left, settling on a grassy mound at the far edge of the tree's expanse, he cut right, positioning himself so that he was as far as possible from the ink user while still clear of the upcoming spar.

While he now had a better understanding of Sai's combat style - moderately interesting ninjutsu; passable taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, and kenjutsu; decent strength given his lean build; no real sign of genjutsu - he was still far from knowing what to make of him. _Where had he come from?_ His response to Sasuke's question had been a nonanswer, the statement that he'd been positioned as his replacement on Team Kakashi mildly annoying but not really giving anything away.

As for his attitude… well, it was certainly a strange one. In Orochimaru's lair, he had tried to befriend him then kill him then speak to him of Uzumaki Naruto of all people. And now… the mystery had really only grown. For when they had faced off against one another, in those few, adrenilated seconds before the start of their spar, there had been an odd sort of fascination in his eyes, as well as something else. A hint of _anger_ , almost entirely hidden behind an impressively cool facade.

Sai's seeming dislike wasn't in itself surprising. After all, there were plenty of shinobi in Konoha who hated his guts. Sasuke had only been a free man for a few days, but it was impossible to miss the venomous whispers and distrustful glares that followed him every time he set foot outside his apartment door. That being said, the momentary flash he'd witnessed on his new teammate's face had been different. Something far more _personal._

But those were thoughts for later. For Sakura's and Yamato's spar had started, and Sasuke was rather interested to see how his former genin teammate managed herself. Of course, up against a jounin who had once been Itachi's ANBU teammate, he seriously doubted that the pink-haired medic-nin stood any _serious_ chance of victory. But he was intrigued to see how it all played out nonetheless. Particularly given that the Hokage apparently believed her competent enough to go up against the Akatsuki.

 _That thought was troubling, to say the least,_ he mused as Sakura kicked things off on the offensive, putting her chakra-enhanced right fist through the trunk of an exceedingly unfortunate tree as she missed Yamato's head by inches. He didn't doubt that she had grown during his five-year absence. The force of her attack was proof enough of _that_. But whether her skills in medical ninjutsu and admirable chakra control were enough to take on an _S-class_ rogue nin was a massive question… one to which he wasn't really sure he wanted to know the answer. _Not after almost losing her once._

As long as he was with her, he would do his best to keep her safe. _But would it be enough?_ And if and when the time came for them to part - for involving her in his vendetta against Danzo was absolutely out of the question - well… _then what?_ It seemed that the Godaime's motivations for including her apprentice on his new team may have gone deeper than ensuring that they had the services of a medic-nin at their disposal.

Putting himself out of range of Sakura's imposing fists by virtue of a well-timed substitution jutsu, Yamato managed to buy himself a few seconds. Clearly aware that time was of the essence when up against a powerhouse like his current opponent, his hands wove a rapid jutsu, and the results were dramatic. A thick, vine-like root came erupting out of the earth, slithering and twisting its way along the grass like an engorged snake as it cut a path straight towards the kunoichi. And the wood user wasn't done yet. When the root was within fifty feet of its target, Yamato wove another rapidfire series of signs, causing the root to split into thirds. Continuing their hungry progression across the battlefield, they quickly surrounded their opponent, efficiently cutting off any avenue for escape.

 _Well, except via the air._ Channeling her chakra-enhanced strength into her legs in a rather clever deployment of the technique, Sakura launched herself a good fifteen feet upwards with a heated "cha!," leaping over the barrier seeking to ensnare her. Upon landing on the far side of the right-most root, she immediately brought her gloved fist down hard upon it, splintering it into hundreds of matchstick-sized pieces.

"Nicely done, Sakura-chan!" cried out Yamato rather gamely as he refocused his remaining two roots on her new location, hands guiding them along like an orchestral maestro.

With a rather aggressive grin of acknowledgment, the kunoichi darted backwards, Yamato's summons hot on her heels as she swerved and dodged across the training ground. She was _fast_ … far faster than Sasuke had anticipated. Which turned out to be a _very_ good thing. For her well-executed footwork and near-constant pivoting were all that was stopping her _taichou_ from claiming victory.

Dark eyes bleeding red, Sasuke surveyed her lithe form in an effort to better assess her motions. The results of his investigation were... _surprising_. It appeared that Sakura was using a speed augmentation technique, putting her fine chakra control to use in an entirely different manner than she'd previously displayed. The Godaime was, of course, legendary for her enhanced _strength_ , and Sakura had clearly inherited that skillset in her time as the woman's apprentice. Manipulating one's speed was a different sort of application, however, and not really an ability that was known to be in Tsunade's wheelhouse. It required a far more subtle approach, not to mention a great deal of bodily control and mental focus. And the fluidity that Sakura was demonstrating… well, bizarre as it seemed, it was rather reminiscent of some of Sasuke's _own_ methods.

 _Where had_ _the technique come from?_

The answer to his question was potentially Kakashi. While Sasuke himself had first been exposed to the wonders of enhanced speed during those long hours he'd spent as a boy spying from the bushes on Itachi's _shurikenjutsu_ training, it was under the Copy Ninja that he had first learned how to put the technique into practice himself. During their Team Seven days, Kakashi admittedly hadn't shown much interest in training the sole _kunoichi_ on his squad. Perhaps, following his own departure from the village, their student- _sensei_ dynamic had changed more than he'd thought?

Directing his attention back to the spar, Sasuke noted that Sakura's form seemed to be slipping, her movements slightly less precise then before and her footwork sloppier. Once again, he found himself reminded of himself and those early days when he was first learning how to manipulate his chakra without too quickly taxing his body. _Perhaps this skill set was a recent addition? At the very least, Sakura needed to work on her stamina..._

Yamato appeared to sense the opening as well. Amping up his jutsu another notch, the wood user split the two existing roots in two, giving himself four pawns to work with. Then, taking advantage of the half-second hesitation it took for Sakura to adapt to this new development, he pounced. Sending in the first two roots to either side of her as a diversion, he missed her by inches from behind with the third before finally ensnaring her legs with the fourth in a head-on attack that she was too off-balance to have even a prayer of dodging.

As the root twisted itself up her body, climbing its way past her ankle boots to her calves, Sasuke found his eyes momentarily drawn to her bare, bound flesh. Willing his attention away from the sight with more difficulty that he cared to admit, he raised his gaze upwards, taking note of her flushed cheeks and defiant green eyes, fully fixated on her current adversary. _She was probably channeling more of the same strength she'd deployed earlier._ While it obviously had its limits - the enhanced speed certainly _helped_ , but she would be badly handicapped against a long-ranged specialist in a long fight - it certainly seemed to be an effective-enough weapon against the wood user.

But Haruno Sakura was apparently full of surprises. Just as the root began to bind itself around her slender waist, the kuniochi's full lips tilted upwards into a small, rather conniving smile. Reaching out her right arm in her opponent's direction, she flicked her index and middle fingers towards him in a rather sensual come hither motion that had Yamato's dark eyes immediately taking on the telltale vacancy of genjutsu.

 _Interesting_. From what Sasuke remembered of the Academy, Sakura had originally been a genjutsu type. That being said, her natural aptitude for the style hadn't exactly been nurtured during their Team 7 days. _Perhaps, she had found a mentor in the intervening years?_ Tsunade was no genjutsu user, and there weren't exactly many promising candidates in the village with the Uchiha gone. Kakashi was halfway decent at genjutsu, and there was that jounin kunoichi who had served as sensei to Team 10. But the style that Sakura was using didn't look anything like either of them. It was _exceedingly_ distinctive, actually. Of the Uchiha. _Of Itachi_.

 _But… how was that even possible?_

Lost in his thoughts, Sasuke didn't even realize that the spar had ended until Yamato and Sakura had joined he and Sai underneath the shade, both breathing rather heavily. Deactivating his Sharingan, his dark eyes appraised Sakura's flushed cheeks and vibrant green eyes, mind positively racing with questions. That was, until an unexpected quip from Sai completely captured his attention.

"Not bad, Ugly."

There were many words one could use to describe Haruno Sakura, but "ugly" certainly wasn't one of them. "Tch. _Ugly_?"

 _Wait. Had he said that out loud?_

Fortunately, Sakura didn't seem to notice the implications behind his question. Cheeks flushing a darker, angrier red, she glared at the pale shinobi, her gloved hands clenching rather threateningly. "Sai recently learned about nicknames," she observed through gritted teeth. "If you think _that's_ bad, you should hear what he came up with for Naruto."

"Hn." _Given the_ dobe's _many…_ colorful _qualities, he could really only imagine._


End file.
